Guardian Issei Hyoudou - part 2
by shadowwriter01
Summary: Second half of Issei Hyoudou: The Guardian.
1. Chapter 1: Two years

**This is finally the first chapter of the second half of Issei Hyoudou: The Guardian.**

**Like in the first Story, the different doubles of the multiple universe are often getting identified by the numbers of their worlds. For example Issei-01, Issei-06 etc.**

**The first chapter also has a large Flashback section that describes events happening before the two year skip.**

* * *

**Guardian Issei Hyoudou - part 2**

A young man, around 18 to 19 years old was standing on the fields around the canyon close to the small town where he was currently living. He had been here for nearly two years now.

It was this place where he had done a good deal of his training during this time.

The canyon was actually a large impact crater. Not of a meteorrid or something, but of a powerful blast of supernatural energy.

A leftover from a battle between the Guardians and the Dark Order centuries ago that had nearly wiped out this world, after it had been targeted for destruction.

Afterwards the Guardians had helped the natives, at least the ones who had survived the destruction, to start rebuild what was left of their civilization.

Since then the elder Guardians also kept regulary contact with this world.

But the main reason Issei had been send here, to exactly this place, when he had lost control of his powers two years ago was something else.

It was that something about the different nature of this universe made it impossible for him and his friends to actively use their powers.

Or at least it did two years ago.

Over time however they and their powers slowly adapted to the different environment. While when he and his friends had first arrived here, they had practically been powerless, they had slowly, with some training, - step by step - regained them.

This ironically had made this world the ideal place to slowly relearn to use and control them... without destroying everything around in the process.

In this moment Issei send a giant blast of energy up in the air, that literally tore the sky apart.

Had the attack hit the ground, it would have instantly obliterated the entire continent and also a thousand miles of the ocean around it.

And that was not even the whole extent of his power.

"What do you say Ddraig?" he asked.

**("Not bad Partner,") **the Dragon sealed inside Issei´s Sacred Gear replied.

He had by now regained full control of his abilities and could use them now here just as freely as in his own world. The level of his power had also grown immensely.

Issei knew his training was nearly finished. He would probably return home in the next days.

Finally he would get to see his parents and his friends from school again. He had missed them all greatly.

Of course the ones of his friends who were part of his team had come to visit him regulary. But the others he had not seen in years.

**xxxxxxx**

_DxD universe 17 __\- Over two years `earlier´ - another world and timeline_

Issei Hyoudou was dead.

He was killed by his former girlfriend Yuuma Amano - also known as the Fallen Angel Raynare... for the **second** time now.

It was during a confrontation where he had tried to save the former Nun Asia Argento from her. She had struck him down with a deadly throw of a lightspear without hesitation.

**xxx**

Yes - a Fallen Angel, a mythological creature. Supernatural beings like that not only existed, but were also quite common in this world andi n secret taking influence of the live of many humans.

There existed a number of races and mythologies. Asgard, Olympus, the Hindu Gods and others.

But it were in first line the three so called Biblical Factions - Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels - also called the Grigori or Watchers - who had been at war with each other for many centuries, that were getting involved into the life of humanity.

Issei´s hometown Kuoh for example had for years been controlled by Devils - in it´s case from the Clans of Gremory and Sitris - without most of the human population even knowing.

The Devils in charge of the town were, quite ironically, two teenaged girst. They were the heiresses of their Clans, both siblings of one of the reigning Devil Kings, but despite that still just teenage Girls - Rias Gremory and her friend Sona Sitri.

**xxx**

As Raynare had first met Issei, she had been assigned to a mission to observe him, a mission that send her right into Devil territory.

The reason was that because her leaders had found out that Issei had a Sacred Gear - a powerful supernatural weapon - sealed inside his body.

The so called Sacred Gears were creations of the Biblical God, made originaly to give the human race a better Chance to defend themselves against Supernatural Beings.

But Kokabiel, one of the Fallen Angel leaders secretly changed her orders to kill Issei instead. With the argument that his Sacred Gear was too much of a threat for him to be kept around.

To come Close to him without the Devils noticing, she had disguised herself as a teenaged human girl named Yuuma and asked him out on a date.

Issei, being known as a nearly hopeless pervert whose greatest dream was to have a harem, had gladly accepted without any hesitation in the hope to finally get a girl.

After they had spend the afternoon together, she had lured him to a lonely place in the park. There she had revealed her true self to him and killed him.

But that was not the end.

In opposite to what Raynare had thought, her plan had not been unnoticed and Issei had been resurrected by the Devils of Kuoh and turned into one of them. In particular it was Rias Gremory, the young heiress of the Gremory Family and sister of one of the current Devil Kings, who had brought him back as her Servant.

Just a few days afterwards however he met Asia Agento, who had just arrived in Kuoh and the two quickly became friends. Despite being, well - a reincarnated Devil and an excommunicated Holy Maiden.

As Issei found out however that Asia was involved with the Fallen Angels and Raynare brought her back by force, he tried to stop her. But only was easily killed by her the second time. This time for good.

What none of them had known at this point, Raynare had not simply intended to force Asia into servitude, she actually planned to remove her Sacred Gear - Twilight Healing, a power that could heal every injury nearly instantly - and keep it and it´s powers for herself.

Something she did without authorization and behind the back of most of the Grigori leaders, with the exception of Kokabiel, who had suggested the idea to her in the first place.

It was a desperate (and maybe quite crazy) attempt of her to finally gain recognation and respect by the other Fallen... and especially to gain the attention of their leader Azazel.

Asia however was then was rescued by a mysterious masked woman calling herself Mirage. Who however had interferred too late to save Issei.

He was dead for good. Rias Gremory had lost one of her Servants, Kuoh one of it´s citizens and the world the next Red Dragon Emperor - the weilder of the Boosted Gear.

At least it had been like this in this world.

**xxxxxxx**

But that world and dimension was only one of many.

Like many scientific theories suggested, there were other worlds - universes - parallel to each other. Some of them completely different, others nearly identical. So much that even the same persons existed and had only made certain different decisions during their lives.

And there were also beings and people able to move between these worlds.

Some of these beings were using advanced technologies for these travels.

Others were doing it simply by their own power.

And a few were even using a mixture of both.

Some of these groups were peaceful explorers.

Others were conquerors or aggressive predators, preying on other worlds.

A few were just bored Super Beings, who were travelling between realities because they had not much else to do with their existence.

There were a few groups under them however, who were a special case. Groups whose goals and purposes even affected the Multiverse as a whole.

Two of them were two large multiversial organizations that had been at war with each other for centuries.

One was a force of destruction, a alliance of dark armies led by a group of malovent Super Beings, possessed by the fanatical goal to purge and `perfectionate´ the Multiverse through the methods of war, terror and genocide.

Including the destruction of entire worlds. Whatever they saw as flawed was being destroyed. Being it persons, societies, planets or sometimes even enire realities.

This sinister organization was known by many names. Even if only a minority of the population of the various universes even knew of it´s existence. The most known one however was the Dark Order.

The other was a group with the purpose to defend the universes from this threat and from others.

Like their enemies they were known under different names. The most common one was simply the Guardians.

And quite ironically, one of the many teams of this organization consisted of nobody else than Issei Hyoudou and his friends and associates. Another version of him from one of the many parallel worlds.

In his reality, the story had played out a little bit different.

Instead of by Rias Gremory, Issei had been resurrected by the Guardians. And while this, together with his Boosted Gear, gave him access to incredible power and even quasi immortality, he staid technically human.

After being introduced and trained by them for a few weeks, he had finally decided to join their organization for good, together with some of his friends and associates.

A group which quite ironically, through a line of events, included both Raynare and most of her Fallen Angel teammates and also Rias Gremory and her Servants.

**xxx**

In the Cluster of Universes where the Three Factions, their Version of the Supernatural World, the Sacred Gears existed, the Supernatural Beings were already using Dimension travel in a limited way. By moving between their Human world, the Underworld and Heaven. Both were actually however only being pocket-dimensions attached to their main universe - and Earth.

To go further - to the true alternate realities of the Multiverse, however was something they couldn´t do. Or rather, while their races clearly possessed the necessary power and abilities, they lacked the knowledge to navigate in this endless maze of alternate universes. In most universes they were not even aware that these worlds beyond their own even existed.

The strongest Super Beings of their world - Ophis and Great Red - could have done it simply out of instinct alone. But they both mostly prefered to stay where they were.

Aside from the regular moves between the `their´ Earth and the Dimensional Gap and back, they showed no great interest to travel anywhere else. At least until now.

**xxxxxxx**

_DxD Universe 17 - still two years ago_

A lone female figure was walking through the streets of Kuoh. She had the appearance of a young teenaged girl and was wearing a cong green coat with the hood pulled deep over her face.

This was only a safety measure to make sure nobody would recognize her. In addition she was using her mental powers to compel everyone in a ten meter radius around not to pay attention to her.

She could imagine that her counterpart from this world was currently not the most well liked person in this town right now. So she preferred not to be recognized.

Of course she was quite confident that nobody in this town were actually a threat to her. Outside of the man she was about to meet right now of course.

But she was here to avoid a conflict. Not to start one.

The codename she was currently going by was Mirage.

In truth however, she was nobody else than Raynare. But not the one from this reality - another one. She was the one who had, along with her Issei Hyoudou, joined the Guardians.

This Raynare here came to deeply regret her actions. It was one difference out of many.

In a quite ironic line of events, she and her Issei had ended up truly falling in love with each other. But sadly only after she had been killing him and his resurrection by the Guardians.

Only after she had found out that Kokabiel had only been manipulating them and set her and her team up to die from the beginning and blame the Devils for it.

After she had realized how much she had been misled and how deep she had started to sink.

In her world she had been convinced to spare Asia by a fellow Fallen Angel called Gaeriel. Who was in truth an agent of the Guardians.

And a short time later she and Asia had ended up joining Issei´s team together... and then both became Issei´s lovers, along with his old friend Irina and later Gaeriel and a few others.

This Issei had actually suddeeded in getting a harem.

She was also much - much - more powerful than the Raynare of this world. Mostly thanks to the training and the new sources of power, she had received from the Guardians. Right now she possessed eight wings - Ultimate Level - low Ultimate, but still.

And she knew there was still room for her to improve.

This world´s Raynare had been far less lucky, she knew.

She hardly felt any sympathy for her counterpart however. In opposite to her, the other Raynare was an actual follower of Kokabiel, a fanatic intentionally trying to provoke a new war with the Devils and Heaven.

Her counterpart had killed her world´s Issei twice. She cold hardly judge her for the first time, especially since she had done the same. But the second? She had killed him despite that he had been turned into a Devil, knowing that it would be another provocation for war. Knowing? - no, she was actually **intending** it.

Aside from that she even gave that bastard Freed permission to try to rape Asia as ´punishment´ for defying her.

**xxx**

She entered a house and knocked on the door of a regular looking apartment. The person she was here to meet was waiting inside.

"Come in," a voice she knew perfectly well was saying to her.

As she entered the room, Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels, was sitting before her.

Of course this was not the same leader she had sworn loyalty to and who she had admired her entire life (and who she admitted she had still feelings for).

This was the Azazel of **this** reality. A man she had technically only met **once** before.

After she had (in disguise) saved this world´s Asia from her counterpart, she had contacted him. The reason she originally came here was that the Guardians had detected a breach between the Dimension. That meant most likely an intruder in their universe.

At first she had hoped it could be her missing teammate Kalawarner, who they had been looking for the last months. But now it didn´t seem like it was her at all.

"We have gotten your message," Raynare/Mirage greeted him. "Is it true?"

"Yes - someone had attacked Rias Gremory and her peerage," Azazel confirmed. "And since your counterpart, who had already killed one Devil before and her team were in this town only a short time ago, you can guess who they are suspecting."

"The Fallen Angels," Raynare-01 replied.

Issei´s death, by her hand, was months ago in her reality. Here it were only two weeks.

She had somehow feared it would come to something like this. Their mysterious intruder had obviously been hiding himself.

And now they had an attack on one of the Devil Heiresses of Kuoh. It sounded all too much like the way the Devil Hunters worked.

"How is Rias?" she asked.

"Alive. But her Queen and her Rook died defending her from the attacker," Azazel said.

"Akeno and Koneko," Raynare-01 stated.

"Yes - as you can imagine Baraquiel is devastated. Even if she had joined the enemy, Akeno was still his daughter. They bought Gremory and her Knight the time to escape."

Raynare nodded.

She wasn´t particular close to either of them in her own world. They were allies and part of Rias peerage.

Rias herself however. Their relationship was - ... well complicated.

It didn´t help that she knew that the young Devil Heiress had killed her in at least one parallel reality. And tried to in a number of more. But despite that, they had by now become something like friends.

And beside that Rias also seemed to be getting quite close to Issei in the last time. So it seemed his harem was about to get a new member.

"Do you think your mysterious `intruder´ has something to do with this?" Azazel asked her.

"Well - the chance at least is there," she answered "But you know as well as me that the Devils have enough enemies here in this world. **Our** people included," Raynare suggested.

"True - but there are only few who would risk a conflict with the Devil Faction like this. Kokabiel was one of them. But I have taken care of him as you have adviced me to. With the information you gave me it wasn´t too difficult. Most of his followers have also been rooted out."

"What about Khaos Brigade?"

"That is a possibility. But by my informations none of their forces should have even been close to Kuoh. And you know I have inside sources."

Raynare was more than aware of that. Vali Lucifer - the current White Dragon Emperor and Issei´s direct rival - was one of the people who managed to infiltrate that terror-organization.

"You think it could be this Erebos Empire you mentioned?"

Raynare nodded.

"It is possible."

**xxx**

The Erebos Demons were an ancient demonic race that had ruled their Underworld before the current Devil Race did. Until the Devils - a hybrid race - had rebelled and overthrown them. The remaining Demons had fled to another Dimension.

But now they were returning. They had learned to travel between the Universe, had build up a new Empire and were ready to take back what was once theirs.

They were not a threat at the same level like the Dark Order, but they were a far more direct one.

The group they had met called the Devil Hunters (who were part of the reason her Issei had lost control of his powers) were their agents.

**xxx**

It suddenly rung at the door.

"Were you expecting someone?" Azazel asked her drily.

Raynare/Mirage smiled.

"Lets say I brought a few friends along," she said. "I had asked them to look around a bit. Since they are not Fallen, it would be easier for them."

It were nobody else than Irina Shido and Issei´s classmate Murayama, who were both members of their team.

**xxx**

Murayama for her part had accidentally got caught into a fight between them and an agent of Kobabiel and was killed during it. Issei had managed to use his new powers and bring her back.

But he had not quite been knowing how to use them back then. So the formally normal school-girl had not only inherited supernatural powers herself, but was also turned immortal.

**xxx**

"Have you found out something?" Raynare asked them.

"Yes - actually we have found out a lot," Irina stated. "But you won´t like it."

Everyone was shocked a minute later, after they had heard who the assassin was.

"How did you even found out this?" Raynare asked.

"Simply-," Irina asked, "I went to this Rias and asked her."

"What?" Raynare did a double take. "You actually...?"

"As an Agent of the Church, it was easy to get an audiance with her, especially after I showed them my Holy Sword. I just needed to claim that the Church was concerned about the attack on one of the Maou´s sisters and wanted me to find out more."

"You realize that as soon as the Devils check your claims, they will find out that the Church never send an Exorcist here, even less an Holy Sword weilder and then they will be looking for an imposter... with a false Excalibur on top of that."

"I have told you it was a stupid idea," Murayama commented.

"Ladies-," Azazel spoke up, "I think we all have more pressing concerns right now... especially who this assassin seems to be."

"You are right," Raynare replied.

She was looking down in thought for a few moments.

"Lord Azazel," she finally said, "I think we can diffuse this situation. But for that we need to do something quite risky."

She looked at Irina and Murayama.

"We need to reveal ourselves to the Devils here."

**xxxxxxx**

_A few miles from Kuoh_

It was in one of the neighboring towns from Kuoh.

Like they were forced to by the mysterious woman calling herself Mirage, the native Raynare and her team had left the town.

But they had not gone far. They had just got a hideout in one of the towns close by, reported what happened and waited for new orders. Official ones from the regular Grigori leaders and `real´ ones from Lord Kokabiel.

But then they had much to their shock found out a short time later that Kokabiel had been arrested by Azazel and Shemhazai and later executed.

They had gone into hiding and hoped that their connection with him would not be discovered.

Until they had suddenly been attacked.

The newcomer had wiped out her three teammates in seconds. A small consolation was that it was no her original team of Dohnaseek, Kalawarner and Mittelt, but three of Kokabiel´s personal cronies who had replaced them.

But that changed little about her own situation right now... because she was looking death in the eye.

Raynare-17 was starring in unbelieving shock and horror at the face of her attacker. It was the face of Issei Hyoudou.

"Darling it is so nice to see you again... even if it is not really you," he said to her with a grin.

"The question is, what shall I do with you now? Maybe I should just kill you? After all you have killed me as well here. Sounds fair - doesn´t it? On the other hand you look exactly lie my ex-girlfriend and I kind of miss her. So maybe I should keep you for myself instead. Decisions decisions.

Well - this disgusting Devil had escaped me. Should have known that she would trade the lives of her Servants to save her filthy skin. Typical."

This conveniently ignored of course that he had actually ambushed said Devil peerage with dealy force in the frist place and said Servants actually **offered** to cover for their comrades and their Master.

`What in the world is he talking about?´ she asked herself. Had he gone completely insane?

What she didn´t know was, this was the Issei Hyoudou from Universe-13, a dangerous psychpath with a hatred for Devils, Rias Gremory especially, who the Guardians had encountered before.

And who had managed to steal one of their control-devices for the dimensional portals.

"Or maybe, before you make a decision, you should talk with us first," a voice was coming from the entrance.

A figure was standing there, clad in a silvery white Dragon Scale Armor - Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor.

Standing next to him was the black haired Nekoshou Kuroka... and her sister? - the Devil Servant known as Koneko.

But Issei had killed her just a couple days ago... abd he could sense no traces of Evil Pieces in her either.

Both sisters were wearing some kind of black battle-gear he had never seen before. Behind them he could also see a man (at least it seemed to be one) in a cleak with a demonic looking mask.

"We have been trying to locate you for a while now," Vali said to him. "We have some interest in you."

"Your latest actions have made kind of an impression, you could say," the Kuroka lookalike commented.

"Who are you?" Issei-13 asked. "What do you want?"

"You can call us the Devil Hunters," Vali replied. "We want to offer you to join us."

**xxxxxxx**

_Kuoh Academy - the clubroom of Rias peerage_

"You are sure it was him?" Sirzechs - the current Maou with the title Lucifer - the one from Universe 17, asked his sister.

He, his wife anf Queen Grayfia and Rias, together with the surviving members of her Peerage Kiba and Gaspar were in their club-room in the school.

"Absolutely," Rias replied. "It was him. The same boy I have turned into my Pawn months ago and who had then killed by that Fallen Angel."

Sirzechs sighed. A peerage member of his sister killed, the Red Dragon Emperor on top of that, as it turned out. That had been serious. Even if it had been Issei himself who had iniciated the fight, as Azazel had assured him, with Asia Argento as witness.

Then the revelation that Kokabiel had been actively planning to start a new war for Satan knows how long and dozens of Grigori members being arrested as his accomplices.

And now **this**. Someone had tried to murder his little sister right here at her place and slaughtered two more of her Servants and closest friends in the process.

If it were truly the Fallen who were responsible then there **would** be war. Renegades or no renegades.

"But you say it yourself, he was dead," Sirzechs said aloud. "So how could he have attacked you?"

"This Fallen must have resurrected him somehow and turned him against has to be her. It has to be. Akeno and Koneko are dead because of this. Damn these Fallen Angels."

"We don´t know that for sure," Grayfia pointed out.

"We found Issei´s body, killed by a light-spear and some black feathers lying close by. Even if it had not been her, it must have bee one of her team who had killed him.

And now he is suddenly back and being turned into our enemy. Isn´t it obvious what must have happened?" Rias-17 exclaimed.

"I meant we have no proof that the same people who killed Hyoudou are also the ones responsible for him being back," Grayfia replied. "For all we know **anyone **could have just taken his body and somehow resurrected him.** If** it was even him and not just someone who looked like him."

"Grayfia has a point," Sirzechs stated. "Hyoudou´s death was weeks ago. By our Knowledge the Fallen Angels have left Kuoh right afterwards. There is no proof that there is even any connection between that group of Fallen and what happened now.

The Fallen Angels are our enemies. But we can not simply assume they are responsible for everything."

Something changed in Rias expression. Instead of angry, she now looked pained.

"I know," she said. "It is just... Akeno and Koneko are dead and I guess I just want someone to blame for it."

She still had the unwanted marriage with Raiser Phenex hanging over her head. She had heard that Raiser had actually planned to push for it to be held after the latest attack and the death of her Servants, it was decided to postpone it for now.

It surprised her a bit that Raiser actually agreed to the delay easily. During their last meeting however Lord and Lady Phenex explained to her, whatever Raiser´s shortcomings were, caring deeply about your Servants was something he understood all too well.

"Well, isn´t that interesting?" they heard a female voice from the other side of the room. "Wise words indeed. The Grigori truly have nothing to do with what happened."

They turned to the figure in a green coat who just had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Actually she had just been hiding her presence and walked straight through the walls.

Phasing - it was one of the special techniques she had learned from the Guardians.

It allowed her, for a few moments, to shift the molecules of her body and everything she touches out of since with the objects around her and so become virtually untouchable.

Unless you possessed a certain level of spiritual-energy control that allowed you to counter the effect. Sadly Sirzechs and the other Mao in fact **possessed** this ability, along with several others. Grayfia possibly as well.

As powerful as she had become under the Guardian ´s training, if Sirzechs decided to attack her, she was as good as dead.

Damn - she had not expected him or even Grayfia to be here. Had she truly underestimated how serious this situation was? Or was their presence just a coincidence?

How close to war was this world truly?

But that was only one reason more to solve it right here, Raynare-01 thought.

She lifted her hood... and Rias and her Servants recognized her instantly.

"You!" she growled. "How - how did you come in here? You dare to come...?"

"This is all your fault!" Rias-17 yelled at Raynare-01... not realizing that she was not truly the same being she knew.

She formed a ball of Destruction Energy in her right hand.

"Hold on. You got the wrong person and I can proof it," Raynare said casually.

"That is enough Rias," Sirzechs said, while pushing Rias hand down, forcing her to stop her attack. "I want to hear what she has to say."

"She will probably only tell us lies," she responded.

"This Fallen would not risk coming here all by herself if she didn´t have something important tp say, I am sure," he countered.

It seems there was a good side about Sirzechs being here after all, Raynare thought. The Devil King was generally more reasonable and level-headed than his stubborn and hot-headed sister.

But that didn´t change the fact that both he and Grayfia had activated their powers and that she was in for the fight of her life if they didn´t accept her explanation.

"Like I said, I am not the person you think I am - In more than one way," Raynare stated. "I am not who I seem to be. And I am not your enemy, despite my race. I have a suspicion who might be responsible for the attempt on your sister´s life.

"Explain-" Sirzechs said, "and whatever you say Fallen Angel, it should better be good. I want you to tell me whatever you know about the assassination attempt on my sister and I want to know how you got in here despite our wards around the school."

He gave her a stern look.

"Okay - first let me clear up Rias little theory."

Raynare now turned back into her true form and now materalized all eight of her wings.

She was still wearing a leather outfit. But this one was far more decent than her old one. Meaning it didn´t show up 90% of her body.

Her current outfit was more like the battle-gear Irina and Xenovia were wearing.

"As you can see, if I truly wanted to kill your sister, I would not have needed some kind of brainwashed assassin to do it."

Rias visibly gulped. She had been sure that all of the Fallen in her territory had been simply low-level two winged.

"And for me not being who I seem to be..." Raynare activated the small device she was wearing on her arm.

To everyone´s astonishment, a Portal was opening right in the room in front of them... and a group of people came out.

"Alright Raynare - why have you called us here?" the leader of the group, a red-headed teenage girl asked.

"We... oh," Rias Gremory-01 said as she saw who was standing in front of her.

"What is this?" Rias-17 asked as she saw her double and her companions.

A second Rias Gremory, together with a still alive Akeno, Koneko and a second Kiba had just entered the room.

This was it. All or nothing. To prevent the possibility of a war here, Raynare-01 had to do something she had originally wanted to avoid... reveal the existence of the parallel universes and the Guardians to the Devils of this world.

"You wanted to know?" she looked to Sirzechs, who had been watching the events silent, but visible surprised.

"I am sure you have heard about the theory of parallel worlds? It is true. Me and this version of your sister here are part of an organization that travels between these worlds. And we think your assassin is someone like us."

**xxxxxxx**

_The universe of Issei´s training - the present... now_

Issei concentrated his powers. He manifested part of the powers of his Balance Breaker... and two crimson red gaunlets made out of Dragon scales appeared on his hands.

The Dragon Armor was a manifestion of Ddraig´s power, when he activated the higher Levels of his Sacred Gear.

But now he could twist and manipulate these abilities in ways he had never thought possible. His different sources of power had practcally merged into one.

He could materalize any part of his Scale Mail everywhere on his body whenever he wanted. But he could also unleash nearly all his power without need for the armor at all.

He materialized his blade, the Sword of Cronos in his Hand.

Issei knew he didn´t actually need it anymore. He could now access the same powers of time-manipulation all on his own.

He was only still using it because it was also a well crafted weapon. Otherwise he would have already returned it to the Guardian´s vault.

**xxx**

For a moment Issei started to think about Kalawarner.

It was now for over two years that she was missing.

Through a malfunction of their portal-system during a dangerous mission, a few of their teammates had been accidentally transported to at that time unknown random universes - Irina, Rias, Akeno... and her.

To their luck (in the bad luck) however, they had located most of them quite quickly. All except her.

She had originally been one of Raynare´s teammates and joined them together with her.

At first she and her group had been his enemies. That however had changed very quickly, when it came out that they were being used as sacrificial pawns by the Rogue Fallen Angel leader Kokabiel and he was trying to have them assassinated and blame it on the Devils.

Issei might not have been as close to the Fallen as to most of his other teammates (what didn´t keep him from having a threesome with her and Gaeriel shortly before his appearance) - but since she was a teammate, he was still worried.

They didn´t know in what kind of world she might have ended up. Or if she was even still alive.

There was no telling what she could eventually be going through right now.

**xxxxxxx**

_Unknown DxD Universe_

"Ahh yes," Kalawarner cried out.

She was lying on a bed, nacked except for the purple stockings she was still wearing, and had her legs wrapped around the body of the blacked winged man moving on top of her and her large breasts were shaking wildly with every of his moves.

"Harder - oh yes. This is so good," she moaned.

When Kalawarner had first arrived in this world two years ago, she would have hardly expected to end up in this position here.

**xxx**

As it turned out, she had landed in a world quite similar to her own. But with some significant differences.

For example that here, Kokabiel had with the help of Khaos Brigade staged a successful coup, had killed Azazel and Shemhazai and replaced them.

Then he had started an attack on Kuoh and wiped out nearly all of the Devils in the town.

Since then the world she had ended up in was at war... and as much as she hated it, her race was at the wrong side.

And certainly had the wrong leader.

**xxx**

She was moaning loudly whenever she felt the man´s dick pushing into her.

The Fallen grunted as he made another hard push. He was well-build, about a half head taller than her and had dark brown hair and a beard.

Finally she felt him coming inside her.

They were both breathing heavily. After a few moment it took for them both to relax, the male Fallen removed himself from her.

"It was great as always baby," he said to her.

"Of course - it is **me** after all." Kalawarner took a lasziv position lying on the bed while she said this.

"You know? - I am curious," she nearly purred. "So tell me, what more do you know about this plan of our leader?"

He smiled at her.

"You really **are** curious, aren´t you? You are a seductive little witch, like always."

"You can bet I am."

`Slut,´ she thought about herself.

There was no denying it, that was what she was. But if it meant finding out **anything **that could help this fucked up world she had landed in, then she gladly was one.

**xxx**

Fallen Angels, especially female ones, were always creatures of passion and seduction. But they were also capable to loyalty and faithfulness - if they wanted to... **if** they did.

She for her part always had a number of lovers who were more or less casual. Some of these relationships, she admitted looking back, were not based on love or even pleasure... at least not only... but also for mutual benefit and come close to people who could help her own interests. Not that she **didn´t **enjoy at least most of it.

Kalawarner had been in this reality for around two years now. If she was honest, she would have probably been lost if it had not been for a certain person finding her, instructing her to this world and giving her a place to live.

So she had chosen to help her `benefactor´ in the way she knew best. By gathering information... by **every** way necessary.

Not that she could imagine him being particular happy about her `methods´ if he found out about it.

But it was her own choice.

Some time after she had arrived here and had lived herself in, she had volunteered to infiltrade this version of the Grigori.

They had found out the whereabouts of this world´s Kalawarner and then kidnapped her and put her into a magical stasis. Then she had taken her place.

The Fallen Angel she was currently having - well `relations´ with (a.k.a who was fucking her brains out), was one of Kokabiel´s close associates.

His counterpart from her reality had also been one of her sex-friends from back then.

And as it turned out, this version here also had a similar relationhip with the other Kalawarner.

So she had thought - why not?

**xxx**

"You said Kokabiel and Khaos Brigade have another ally. Can you tell me more about them?"

His expression turned serious.

"Well, I have to admit I don´t know that much about them either. The boss is a bit tight-lipped when it comes to them. We only know what they are calling themselves... the Erebos."

"Erebos?" Kalawarner repeated. "Sounds interesting."

"Can you at least tell me **something** about them?" she asked him. "Is it a new group from the Underworld? Or maybe from one of the other Factions?"

"No. That is the strange thing," the male Fallen stated. "They don´t seem to be connected to anyone from here. Do you know something? When I had asked Lord Kokabiel the same Thing, do you know what he said?: `They are not from here.´ Can you believe it babe?" He cuckled lightly.

"Really? That is kind of mysterious isn´t it?

She grinned. In truth Kalawarned had somesuspicion what this meant. Not from **here**... just like herself.

"I will leave now. There are still things I have to do. I hope we can do this again soon."

With that he teleported away, leaving a few black feathers behind.

Kalawarner waited for a few minutes after he was gone. Then she formed a magic communication-circle.

"Seria-," she said, "it is me. You can tell your Master that I have found out something. Not much, but it could be a start."


	2. Chapter 2: Coming Home

**Chapter 2**

_DxD Universe-17_

Issei Hyoudou - more precisely in this case Issei-013, a dangerous psychotic killer the Guardians had encountered before - was looking at the group who had just appeared in front of him.

They were calling themselves the Devil-Hunters (the name alone was a good point for them in his books) and claimed to be interested in him.

Despite that he powered up… just in case. His Scale Armor formed around him as he activated Balance Breaker.

Of course that also contained a risk by itself… the risk of being detected by someone else.

… and that was exactly what happened.

Miles away in Kuoh, a certain group of Devils and a Fallen Angel did notice very quickly.

**xxx**

"You should really consider our offer Issei Hyoudou," the identical double of Vali Lucifer stated. "We have been following your movements across the universes for a while, you know."

"So you were stalking me?" he Issei-013 asked. "Nice," he commented.

"What do you expect, when some unknown suddenly starts moving between worlds randomly in only a short time, it is due to draw attention… from anyone who can detect this movements at least."

"You are using the thing you are carrying on your arm? A control-device for an interdimensional portal system, right? Not quite unlike the ones we use," the Devil Hunter´s Kuroka mentioned. She was gesturing to the portal-controller he had stolen from the Guardians. "But you had just figure out how to handle it, right?"

Issei´s face showed a light frown, but barely visible.

"So you want me to join your group?" he questioned. "You know, there were others who wanted me to `join´ their team before, who made great promises. It didn´t quite work out."

"And now you are on yourself, aren´t you?" DH-Vali stated. "Listen, we are not some Devils who want to take advantage of you. Given your latest actions, it is not hard to guess who this people were. Trying to assassinate the heiress of Gremory?

If you are a enemy of the Devils, you are right with us. And about what you said, while we are working for a certain group of Masters, we are still basically free agents and are only bound as long as we want to."

"Masters? Who?"

"I will tell you later, if you agree to here us out," Vali replied. "I guaranty, you will not be disappointed."

Their conversation came to an apprupt halt however, as a familiar magic-circle glew up on the ground and a well known group appeared… + one Fallen Angel.

Standing in a close distance to them were the native Sirzechs and Grayfia-017, Rias Gremory-017... and Raynare-01 - member of Issei-01´s team (and first member of his own harem).

The three Devils were starring at the figure of Issei Hyoudou, still in his Scale Mail, but they all could sense the familiar power… and then at the two Raynares… and at the Devil Hunters, in first line at Vali and the double of Koneko, their own having been killed just a few days ago.

"Well - I have to say this convinces me of your Story Fallen Angel Raynare," Sirzechs-017 stated. "Unbelievable - this Fallen truly looks exactly like you."

"Yeah sadly," Raynare-01 replied. "Only that she is an even greater bitch than I have been." At the same time however she send a more than worried look at the Devil Hunters. Damn it. She had not expected them here.

She remembered their last meeting with them.

The other Raynare was just starring at her unbelievingly with an open mouth.

"Who are...?"

"You know me as Mirage," she replied to her other self.

The second Raynare was still starring at her, but understood. She had already overheard Issei and these Devil Hunters talking about parallel Worlds after all.

"And Issei Hyoudou, Vali Lucifer, Kuroka and..." Sirzechs continued.

"Koneko," Rias-017 said.

"Don´t call me that - **Devil**," DH-Shirone hissed angrily, pure contempt was in her voice. "I know all about you and your kind."

Rias just responded with an stunned and hurt look. This **was** not Koneko. Just like her own double and her peerage, who she had met just a few minutes ago.

All what the Fallen had told them was the truth. That meant that this was also not Issei, not the one they knew anywac.

"I guess I owe you an apology," she said to Raynare-01 a bit sourely. "What you said was actually true." She still didn´t like the Fallen Angel and especially the idea of owing her anything.

Raynare didn´t respond.

"Don´t try to fight them," she warned Sirzechs and Grayfia instead. "I know them. This Vali here is dangerous, even more than the one you know of. If you clash with him, you could not only loose, the entire planet could easily be destroyed."

"It seems you are the same Raynare who was with that Guardian group," DH-Vali stated. "Interesting."

"About that offer," Issei-013 addressed him. "I guess I have made up my mind. I am in... for mow at least. Now - do we kill them?" he asked with a malicious grin.

"Later," Vali replied. "We follow a greater plan and try to cause as much damage as possible. And while I am sure that I would kill this Sirzechs, I would need to unleash my full energy. This is simply not worth the effort. Let us retreat for now."

Sirzechs-017 actually looked slightly offented by the statement.

"The question is, what do I do with you?" Issei-013 said to the Raynare standing right beside him. "On the one side you are truly an arrogant bitch - on the other, you look exactly like my ex-girlfriend and I kinda miss her - decisions, decisions. I guess you would have a great future here, now that your master Kokabiel has been taken in."

Raynare-017 flinched. She knew with Lord Kokabiel already arrested and his plans revealed, she was finished as well. If these Devils here not killed her right away.

"Please - don´t leave me here Issei-kun," she said. She crinched her teeth.

"Funny - have you not called me a filthy Devil not long ago. Even if I am clearly not one. How quickly things are changing, right?" He laughed out loud.

"If you decide to take her with us, she will be your responsibility," Vali stated.

Issei shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess if I am not happy with you, I can always kill you and find myself another girl," he said casually, as if it didn´t really matter. "Maybe even another version of you."

Raynare-017 hated being at the mercy of this lunatic. But what choice did she have?

DH-Kuroka used the control device she herself was wearing and a portal opened before them.

"We will leave now," she announced to them. "Unless you have changed your mind and want a fight," she said with a threatening grin.

"Don´t…" Raynare-01 asked. "It is too dangerous."

"Let them go," Sirzechs said.

A second later they were gone.

This was it, Raynare-01 thought. She finally allowed herself to relax. She had never thought that they would run into **them** of all People.

And once again no trace of Kalawarner.

It seemed they would have to turn to the next universe on their list.

**xxxxxxx**

_Kuoh_

As they had returned to Kuoh a few minutes later, they saw not only Raynare´s teammates Rias-01 and her Peerage and Irina and Murayama waiting for them... but also the Fallen Angel leaders Azazel, Shemhazai and Penemue waiting for them in front of the school. With a quartet of High Class Fallen standing behind them as guards.

They all knew that the two Factions had called a short temporary truce, given Kokabiel´s arrest and Raynare´s more than a bit fantastic revelations. But they had for sure not expected a number of Grigori leaders visiting.

Despite that, they were technically still at war with each other. Something that at least Azazel intended to change.

"Azazel."

"Sirzechs," they greeted each other.

"They had arrived just a minute ago," Rias-01 stated to her alternate brother.

"I will make this quick," Azazel said, "I want an end of the war between us... and also with Heaven. An for that I want to invite you to a Peace Meeting."

`Nothing new here,´ Raynare thought sarcastically. Which was more or less what happened in her own world after Kokabiel was defeated.

Sirzechs frowned.

"It is no secret that you were not for the continuation of the war. But why so suddenly?" he questioned.

"To be honest, I was not planning this until a few months from now on. But with the last events and Kokabiel´s arrest, I am able to act sooner. He was the greatest hindrance for peace inside the Grigori.

I have Information for you about a organzation called Khaos Brigade, much information. And by what Raynare here told me, there is also a number of other threats to be considered."

"You should know that he had been executed a few hours ago," Shemhazai stated. "His adjutants had been detained and are awaiting trial as well. The first ones are being Sartael and Reyla."

Raynare froze as she had heard the last name.

"W-what? She is still alive here?… and she had joined Kokabiel?" she stammered. "This explains a few things actually."

`Why would she do that?´ she asked herself. Had Kokabiel promised her that Azazel would realize that they were `right all along´ when everything was over? Was she truly so stupid to believe that? And was her own counterpart so stupid to follow her blindly? Or had they other motives?

"I guess in your world, your mother is dead?" Azazel questioned.

"Yes - and good riddance I say," Raynare-01 hissed.

"Mother?" Rias-01 asked in surprise. The members of her peerage showed a similar reaction. Despite knowing the Fallen Angel for over years now and slowly becoming their comrade instead of an enemy, she had never mentioned her family.

"Yes - if you can even call her that. As you know I am a second generation Fallen Angel. Like actually most of us who are alive today."

"Well - if we were limited only to the Angels who fell from Heaven, we would not exist today," Azazel commented.

"I guess you didn´t get along?" Irina-01 stated.

"You can say that. You know these stories where a parent raises their child merely as a tool or a weapon for their own ambitions? She was the perfect example of that, Fallen Angel or not. She raised me practically to be nothing but a soldier for the Grigori. She trained and drilled me practically since the moment I could walk.

… And whenever I failed at something…" she let the words hanging in the air.

"All she cared about was shaping me into a new asset for Lord Azazel and the other Grigori Leaders to please them and she let me know that."

To get back into his pants, Raynare thought bitterly.

Not that she herself was any different in that regard.

"She made that more than clear to me my entire childhood. I was to succeed where she failed. To become a great and powerful Fallen Angel Warrior," she snorted. "Not that she had ever truly been one herself."

"You have never told us any of this," Murayama brought up.

"There was never a need too," Raynare said bitterly. She sighed a bit.

"I really don´t like talking about it," she admitted. "And whenever I fell short to her insane expectations, she let me know and `motivated´ me to try harder." The tone she used left no doubts about what kind of `motivation´ that was. She didn´t want to say it out aloud, and certainly not in front of these people, but all of them more than got the hint.

"I am sorry," Rias-01 said. She of all people could not imagine having family like this. Even the native Rias, standing next to her, was looking somewhat unsettled at this.

"So am I," Azazel-017 added. "If my self in your world - and in this one - had kept a closer eye on Reyla… and on Kokabiel… " He felt the eyes of the other Grigori Leaders present on him. "... and a lot of other people," he added a bit emberassed, "a lot could have been prevented. In your world and ours."

"This is in the past," she replied. "And you are not truly the same Lord Azazel I know anyway. So it doesn´t really matter to me, right? If you were **my** Azazel - well." she muttered.

"I have heard she had not been that bad when my father was still around. But he died in a battle shortly after my birth. I don´t even really remember him. Only that he had been her teammate and partner for a long time."

"That is true," Azazel-017 said. "She and her had been partners and close friends ever since they fell together - together with the rest of us as part of the original Grigori. Both of them had actually been serving directly under me as we fell. And since you have told me that our universe had only separated around hundred years ago, I guess it happened the same way in both our worlds."

"But he was **not** the man she was in love with. That was **someone** else," she said this, looking straight at Azazel. "I also know that she had been one of your mistresses, at least for an entire while."

"I don´t deny that," Azazel replied. "Over the time however I saw that she became more and more, well- obsessed with me. So I ended **that** part of our relationship and kept only the professional one. Then I saw how she hooked up with your father and thought she would return to normal.

But later, after she had especially asked for her to be assigned under me, I started to see the same sort of behavior in her daughter."

"Well - that is more or less what happened in my world as well," Raynare said. "It is nearly ironic, I guess our infatuation with you is the only thing we really shared. She had installed the idea to look up to and admire you in me very early. But as I started working under you, I saw how different you were from her. For the first time I actually felt somehow appreciated."

"So how have you grown out of it?" Azazel-017 asked her.

"Who says I did?" She now had a smirk on her face. Her entire demeanor had suddenly changed.

"You should know that, while I am together with Issei as part of his harem and love him deeply…" She took one step forward, her body suddenly moving very seductively.

"... we have a **special** agreement when it comes to you." She laid her right hand close to his waist suggestively as she moved Closer to him. "While he can have all the other girls, I have his okay to show the Azazel of my world how much **better** I am than mother whenever I feel like it," she purred against his chin.

She saw that Azazel was just looking at her wordlessly for a moment, obviously stunned.

"W-well - okay." That was all he said.

Raynare realized that nearly all the others in the room were starring at her with more or less open mouths.

"Raynare - what…?" Rias-01 said-

"What the hell was that?" Irina nearly shouted. Both of them had a deep blush on their face.

Only Akeno had a wide grin.

"Raynare - that… that was just fantastic." She giggled loudly.

"Well - thats one thing about these parallel worlds, no consequences in ours, right? she replied. "Let us return to the topic," she stated.

"So Reyla still lives in this world," she stated, "and she had joined Kokabiel here? I guess that somehow explains why my own counterpart believing in his crap as well. Never truly got out of `mommies´ grasp, I guess." She smiled bitterly. "I didn´t thought that I would ever feel sorry for my bitch counterpart here."

"Do you want us to spare Reyla?" Azazel-017 asked.

"What?"

"Do you want us to spare her life?"

"So she **will** be executed?" she stated.

"It is not sure yet," he said. "We will have to wait what the investigation will bring out about her crimes… and the trial. But if you ask us to, we could give a pardon to her and just put her under custody. And your counterpart as well, if we ever see her again. Even if I doubt that, since she literally disappeared to another dimension."

"Why do you ask me that?" Raynare wanted to know.

"You gave us all important information and very likely prevented a war. To say it straight, we all owe you a lot Raynare."

"I can only agree with that," Sirzechs stated. "You have revealed the one who tried to murder my sister and killed her Servants. And you kept us from falsely blaming the Fallen. Whatever your other self here had done, we owe you."

"I..." Raynare was on a loss for words. She had never expected this.

"I - I can not." The others saw that she was shaking. "I can not decide if she should live or die."

Only the ones Standing closest to her could see it, but there were actually a few tears appearing in her eyes.

"I hate her," she hissed. "I hate myself. I became just like her. I looked down on other just because they were not Fallen Angels. I was willing to kill innocent people just to get your attention. I..."

She looked back to Azazel and the other Grigori Leaders.

"Just do what you think is right," she said to them.

**xxxxxxx**

Far away, in the Headquarter of the Grigori, in a secured area a female Fallen Angel who was nearly a mirror-image of Raynare was sitting in a cell, awaiting her judgement.

**xxxxxxx**

_Somewhere else_

Issei-01 was just about to make is trip back home. After nearly two years, he would see Kuoh, his parents and everyone he knew again.

He was just meeting with his hostess Varnia. The owner of the inn he had lived in for this time. So she had essentially been his hostess for the last couple of years, even if it was on the Guardian´s request.

Despite that this planet, in this dimension, was not exactly Earth (or even it´s direct counterpart in this universe), it´s inhabitants were human.

This world had a somewhat middle age like civilization and society. Well - European, in some ways at least, in others they were not. The name this world - meaning this planet - was called by the natives was Hyrion.

A name those meaning was in the translation not much different than Earth.

Once they possessed a much higher developed technology. But a few centuries ago this planet had been the place of a large battle between the Senior leader of the Guardians called Darien and the Lord of the Dark Order calling himself Faust, after it had been labeled for destruction.

Of course this were not their true names. The senior members of both sides were centuries - some even thousands of years - old and had in a few cases long lines of different names and identities they had been using.

The Guardians had been able to prevent the planet´s complete destruction. But still the population had been nearly wiped out and the civilization been thrown back into the Stone Age. Afterwards the Guardians had helped the remaining one to survive and to start rebuilding their world.

This however had slowly and unintionelly led to the Guardians - especially Darien - being seen and referred to as some kind of gods by the population.

And despite their best attempts to discourage this notions… this was not quite easy if you were **actually** a practically all-powerful immortal being, that could perform god-level magic and hgher, travel between dimensions and bent reality to your will by thoughts alone.

Something that he himself had become by now, Issei mused.

**xxx**

Varnia was a quite attractive dark haired woman, by now in her mid-twenties. With a bit tanned skin and blue eyes… and of course an impressive set of breasts.

He tried in vain to keep himself from starring at them for a few moments. She noticed, but didn´t say something. She was more than used to his antics by now. Even if she was not always **too** happy about it.

If he was honest, he had been making moves like this on her since he had arrived here. He could jut not let such an impressive set of oppai (on such a pretty woman) go by without at least trying. That she was a few years older didn´t matter to him. Hell - Raynare, Gaeriel and Kalawarner (who he had a one-night stand with) were decades, even centuries old.

Varnia however rather started some kind of affair with Darien. After he had convinced her to stop treating him like a deity. Not that this kept Issei from keeping to try.

He even pointed out that Darien, as they **both** knew, was also in some relationship with Specter as well. After all Issei knew that they even had a threesome together. So there was no reason why she couldn´t have two men.

But she still politely declined.

Still, she tolerated his - well, advances. As long as he respected certain bounderies. She even admitted to him at one point that she was somehow flattered that a younger boy like him was interested in her.

If there was one thing that this world was certainly much different from the typical European Middle Age he had heard of, then it was that it was far more open-minded sexually. Something that he was glad about.

Nobody said something against it if he was spending time with his girls, even two or three of them at once… andwent to dates with them. (Or what passed for dates in this world.)

If Issei was honest, his behavior had actually tamed down a good deal during the last years.

That meant he was not longer spying on girls when they were getting undressed, loudly declaring his designs on women he had just met or discussing sexual topics loudly in pulic. Like he used to do it together with Motohama and Matsuda.

He and them - the perverted trio, he thought. He could only hope that his two friends would have matured out a bit as well when he returned.

"So you are truly leaving `Lord´ Issei," Varnia said to him. She used the title that were usual for members of the Guardians on this planet. But they both knew that she had long stopped seeing him or Darien or any of the others just as higher beings.

"I find it nearly had to believe that the two soler-rounds are already over."

"Sorry - but yes they are," he replied smiling.

"I will miss you. You know - I think I actually got used to your constant attempts to court me. Or - how do you call it? `Trying to hit on me´."

"You know," he replied, "I don´t need to go right now. We have still time. So if you want to, we can always go to your room and..." A smug smile was forming on his face.

"Oh - as I said, I am very flustered, but I think I will still give it a pass. Like I said, I like you as a friend, but you are not really my type of man. And besides that, after declining for so long, would it not be a bit strange if I suddenly changed my mind now?" She giggled.

"And here goes another one," he commented drily. "It seems I have actually found the girl who is able to resist my charm."

They both shared a friendly laugh with each other.

"I guess I will visit this world from time to time," Issei said.

**xxx**

As they walked to the edge of the town, they saw a group of his friends already waiting for him.

The ones were Irina Xenovia - Irina´s fellow Exorcist from the Church and Holy Sword weilder and partner on their last missions for them. She was also the Kiba´s girlfriend, who was also part of their team, since Rias had decided to join them along with the rest of her peerage,

Gaeriel - a beautiful female Fallen Angel, who came from their wold, but was not part of the Grigori. She was the oldest member of Issei´s team and had been a member of the Guardians for over a hundred years. During his recruitment, she who had been mostly responsible for Issei´s first training. Like Irina, Raynare and Rias, she was also a member of his small harem of girlfriends.

Asia Argento - the former Nun, who had never been killed by Raynare or become a Devil in his world. Instead she had been saved from this fate when Issei and Gaeriel when they had begann to influence Raynare to change her ways.

And Ravel Phenex, who they had saved from a kidnapping long time ago and who had become somethiing like a fangirl of Issei. She was the only one present who was not really pert of their team. Just a close associate and friend of them. Or in Issei´s own case, a lover as well. Both she and Asia were also members of his harem. With Raynare, Irina and Asia being the first ones, followed by Gaeriel, Ravel and Rias.

Then there was Kuroka-06, who had joined them right before Issei had come here. In her own world, the Devil Hunters had framed her for a murder attempt on the Pope and she could not go back. Not with** both** the Devils and the Church after her.

They also had two more members in their Team. Two very unexpected ones. Ravel´s `brother´ Raiser and his Queen Yubeluna (who was also one of his lovers).

It was however not Ravel s actual brother from their world, but a Raiser who was part of the large group of Devils and Fallen who had arrived in their reality as refugees from a dark future of one of the parallel worlds (the one labeled Universe-05) some time ago.

This two however were not here but instead waiting for them in the Kuoh of their world.

The ones who were still missing were Raynare and Rias and her peerage. Who were still on a mission. But they had already received a message from them that Raynare´s mission was successful and they would be back very soon for Issei´s return home.

Standing in some distance beside the rest were the last two persons present. The first was Darien, in his human form as a dark brown haired well built young man clad into a grey futuristic armor and the second the woman they only knew as Specter. She had also the appearance of a very attractive, tall, dark haired woman.

But Issei also knew that what they looked like meant ultimately very little. Both had evolved themselves and their powers to a point where they had pretty much long outgrown their physical selves.

While he was pretty sure that this was how they had originally looked like when they were still mortal and they still preferred their original appearance, they could change their shape at will.

Just like he could if he wanted. Not only that, he could leave his body behind and exist as pure Supernatural energy. He only needed to let go of it. He could even merge with Ddraig completely and become a single super being.

Not that he would ever want that. He enjoyed his physical self far too much.

**(Yes - I can imagine that you of all people would not want to leave the physical world behind,)** Ddraig commented inside his mind. **(And I am not really sure if I would want to become one with a perverted human like you forever.)**

In response Issei send the mental image of a smug smile back to the Dragon.

_xxxx_

Issei also knew the risks. He had been warned several times about going mad and loosing yourself. He knew that this was one of the reasons why Darien preferred to spend periodically longer periods of time in his human state, without or barely using his powers. To keep himself grounded an remind himself how it was to be human.

And he knew that some of the others were using similar methods.

Issei asked himself if he would too in the future.

_xxxx_

"I see you are ready to return home," Darien addressed him.

"I am - you can count on that," he answered.

The Guardians were a vaste and complex organization, with access to entire armies and various sub-groups and allies across several dimensions. Issei´s own team was only one of these many groups.

Darien and Specter were members of the oldest existing part of the organization, that operated from the universe where it was originally founded, a futuristic world where it was already the 27th Century.

And while Issei knew that Darien´s original name was Galahad and that he was actually once a member of the legendary Round Table who became immortal, he knew practically nothing about Specter´s heritage. Not even a real name.

It was then when a portal was opening close to them… and Raynare, Irina, Murayama, Rias and the others arrived.

"How did it go?" Gaeriel asked them.

"Oh - we have just helped to take down Kokabiel and his followers and prevented a war, nothing special," Rias declared smiling and a bit theatrically. "You know, the usual."

"As far as I remember Rias-`sama´, it was Raynare who did nearly all the work," Akeno commented smugly. "We were only there so that the other Devils could see us, to concince them that there are more than one set of each of us."

"Okay okay," Rias responded. She then actually stuck her tongue out at her Queen playfully.

Raynare however said nothing. She was just looking slightly downwards silently.

"Raynare-chan?" he asked.

"It is alright Issei," she said. "I will be… okay."

"Okay - but we will talk about whatever is bothering you later."

She nodded.

They were just about to return home.

xxxxxxx

_Kuoh - DxD Universe-01_

He was back.

After two years, he was finally once again walking through the streets of his hometown.

Their two new teammates had already awaited them at their arrival as they stepped out of the portal. Issei knew he for the most part didn´t even need the control device for the portal-system anymore.

He had by now learned to open and control dimensional portals fully out of his own power. So he could travel savely at least between very similar universes.

For world that were quite different however and so `farther away´ in the multiverse (like the one he just came from) or when he had many fellow travellers with him, he preferred to still use it for safety reasons.

"Hyoudou," Raiser-05 greeted him politely, "it is good to finally see you here."

This Raiser, he came to realize, was quite different than the arrogant prick he had defeated in a duel years ago. Even if Issei had been told that he had once not been that different. The terrible events in his timeline however seemed to have changed him a lot.

Issei´s own double from the same reality was it actually who had taken his place here in School and his daily life in the last two years while he was gone. So that nobody would notice Issei Hyoudou going `missing´ and they wouldn´t Need to manipulate the minds of countless people to cover up his disappearance.

Only his parents and his closest friends knew about the switch. Matsuda and Motohama being under them. As well as Murayama´s friend Katase. Who all had found out everything anyway through coincidence.

He remembered in horror the stories about all the death and destruction that happened in their world that his counterpart and his friends told them. Issei swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to prevent the same from Happening to his own.

The others had offered to accompany him, he however had asked them all for some time for himself. So they had staid behind in their makeshift HQ, a once abandoned villa.

He would first go home to his parents, to let them know that he was back. Then… he wasn´t quite sure. He would certainly go to greet Motohama ans Matsuda, but he wasn´t sure if this was the first thing he would do.

He would also talk with Raynare about whatever had been bothering her.

On his way, he came across the school. Two years - that means his time as a student would be already over. And to think that his double had take his place the entire time? It was hard to really wrap his mind around it.

As he was walking through his hometown however, Issei had long realized that he was being watched.

**xxx**

In some distance, three figures in dark blue robes, with hoods over their faces, were following him.

"Do you think he knows we are here?" one of them asked.

"Going by all we have been told about him I would be surprised if he didn´t D.W," another one replied, "not to mention disappointed."

All three of them were females. Young ones.

"We are only here to test him anyway Bloodknight," the third said, "not to cause serious damage."

"And if we loose?" the first girl questioned.

"He won´t harm us Dark Witch. In the worst case we could be captured and then be freed later."

"By the information we have about this world, is Freed Selzen still alive?" the one called Bloodknight asked.

"No - he was killed two years ago."

`Bloodknight´ just shrugged.

"I was looking out to hunting down and killing him again."

"The usual way I guess?" the girl called Dark Witch stated. "How many times have we done this again?"

"Six times by now," the third girl replied, "and I loved it every single one," she hissed.

This three indeed had hunted down, tortured and castrated and then murdered the psychotic Stray Exorcist a half dozen times in different worlds by now.

"What about our other `old friends´?" Bloodknight asked. "Kokabiel?"

"Also dead."

"Valper?"

"He too."

"Kiba Yuuto?"

"He - he is an ally of Issei. He is also still a Devil and the Knight of Rias Gremory… and he is in a relationship with Xenovia Quarta."

Bloodknight suddenly stopped appruptly and froze.

"W-what?" she nearly screamed.

"Hey - don´t look at me as if this is my fault."

"F-for how long?" Bloodknight asked.

"Nearly two and a half years."

"So he **has** fucked her for sure. Countless times probably." She was balling her fists and shaking with anger. "How could she...? Spreading her legs for this - this sorry excuse of a Devil?

I will get him and castrate him and then feed him his own dick, like I did with Freed. Then I will find his Little slut and beat the shit out of her."

"Aeh - Bloodknight - I think you should calm down."

"Shut up B.H, you are not the one he..."

"Guys!" Dark Witch interrupted them, "I think we should go back to the mission. We can not affort to mess this up."

"Okay - I am sorry, I just freaked out a bit." Bloodknight finally gave in.

"It´s alright," the third girl - with the codename Broken Hero - said.

**xxx**

Issei had decided to walk the route through the park. It was not the favorite place after what happened there, but it was the best place to confront his pursuers without involving other people.

It was still early in the morning and he hoped that nobody would be there yet.

As he arrived, he saw to his disappointment that a young couple was already here. He send them a short telepathic suggestion to leave the park as quickly as possible.

They turned around and walked away in the other direction.

Issei however just sat down on a park bench, right in the open... waiting for them.

He did not have to wait long.

Two of the figures approached them from two sides. The third was standing back... at least for the moment.

They both draw their weapons. One of them was clearly a Holy Sword, even if he had never seen it before. The powers he sensed from it however were quite familiar to him. The other seemed like a regular blade. But he knew all to well that this did not have to say much about the owner. Or that it had to be his only weapon.

Both jumped forward and attacked him at the same time. From what Issei could make out of their figures under the Robes they were wearing, Issei was sure they were women.

Issei manifested two swords by himself in his hands. These blades had no special abilities on their own. They did not even truly **exist**. They were just manifestations of his mind, given solid form by his powers.

He used them to block both their blows.

But they both simultanously took another swing and forced him backwards with brute strength.

Issei then however channeled his energy into one his simulated blades and stroke again one of his opponent´s swords (the not Holy one). The blade shattered at the impact and broke into two.

They both jumped back and got into greater distance again.

The other figure now however actually unleashed the real power of her weapon, powered up and and with a wide slash, send a **real** attack at Issei.

He realized he had been right. This sword was a combined form of Excalibur Destruction and Durandal, the two weapons Xenovia was weilding. But the power now directed at him was more than he had ever seen of either of these weapons. The weilder had to be Ultimate Class at the very least.

Not only that, there seemed to be some strange sort of power surrounding his opponents hat was disturbing his telepathic abilities.

Issei had already errected a barrier around the entire park... and now he formed a second one around himself. It was able to for a second block the massive power of the combined Holy Sword - at least for the moment.

Then however Issei opened a small rift in space that swallowed the attack and removed it from this plane of reality into Hyperspace.

Then `Issei´ just disappeared. His two opponents looked at the place he had been standing amoment before.

And then the real Issei Hyoudou came out from between a group of tree a hundred meters away, where he had been the entire time and hiding his presence.

The two realized they had been fighting a psychic construct until right now. They looked at their third comrade a bit emberassed, who said nothing.

"You know?" he addressed them. "I had really hoped I could at least spend the rest of the day peacefully before the trouble starts. But I guess it wasn´t meant to. Who are you?"

He manifested the gaunlets of his Scale Armor on both his arms.

"Congratulations Issei-kun," one of them said, "that was quite impressive." He knew that voice.

She removed the hood... and he was looking in Irina´s face. He would have realized it far earlier if this strange interferance hadn´t been.

The other two did the same thing. It were Xenovia and... Asia?

Or at least other doubles of them. Because he was pretty sure he had never seen this versions of his friends before.

"What is Issei-kun? Are you not happy to see me?" she asked. It was the same tone he was used to from his Irina. The ones who always told him how much she loved him and cared about him. But at the same time there seemed to be something wrong about it.

"I would be if you were the Irina I know. Or if you at least had not pulled a weapon and attacked me on sight," he responded.

"I am sorry Issei. We are not really trying to harm you. We are just here for a test. And so far you are doing very good. But now it is time to get serious."

With this words she let another weapon appear in her hand. He recognized it instantly, it was the True Longinus.

At the same time Xenovia´s double was forming some kind of armor he had never seen before around herself.

`This could be a bit more troublesome than he had expected,´ he thought.

**xxxxxxx**

_Kalawarner´s world_

The Fallen Angel who had been lost in another world was just meeting with one of her aquaintances from this world.

At the agreed point, she saw the young former Devil Woman calling herself Seria waiting for her. Kalawarner instantly recognized her red dyed hair with the black strains. Like quite often, Seria was wearing a black leather Outfit.

In truth, she knew perfectly well, she was just this worlds counterpart of Sona Sitri, no matter what she called herself. Even if she denied her old identity.

It was a Sona however, who had lost nearly everything.

Nearly all of her peerage, just like Rias Gremory´s had been killed during the attack on Kuoh. She herself had only barely gotten away with her life - barely. And only because the being who was appearantly Issei´s counterpart had saved her.

Her parents and her older sister had died during the war Kokabiel´s new Grigori and Khaos Brigade had waged on the Underworld.

All that had turned her into a completely different person - bitter, sarcastic and cynical. But that didn´t mean that Kalawarner didn´t feel some sympathy for her.

"There you are," Seria/Sona greeted her. "Now - did you have a good time to prostitute yourself?" she asked sardonically.

"Yes - it was quite pleasant actually." The Fallen grinned viciously. "By the way, maybe you could use a good hard dick as well from time to time. It could help you not always to be so uptight," she teased her.

"Maybe Issei´s?" she was referring here of course to the Issei of this reality, who was practically a completely different Person, not the one she knew.

Seria actually had a deep blush on her face

"You!" she growled. "Enough, " she said as she had calmed herself dow, "we both know that you are not really as perverted as you act now. Even if you truly are a tramp."

"You know - he really doesn´t like what you are doing," Seria commented.

"I know," she replied. "But it isn´t as if my - well, connections, had not been useful. So he does not try to stop me."

"Have you at least found out anything useful?" Seria asked.

"Some things," Kalawarner stated. "You were rght. There is actually another Group Kokabiel and Khaos Brigade are working with. I have found out a few things about them. They are called the Erebos."

"Like from Greek Mythology?" Seria questioned.

"Yes - but as I was told that they don´t actually have anything to do with it. They in fact seem to be some kind of demonic force. Maybe these guys just found the name cool."

"Whatever."

Have you been talking to Tsubaki?" Kalawarner asked her.

The crinch she made as an reaction was barely visible, but the Fallen Angel saw it.

Her former Queen Tsubaki Shinra was the only other member of her former peerage who had survived the massacre. And like Sona and Kalawarner, she had been found by the same person.

She had however blamed her former King (along with the now dead Rias Gremory) and their carelessness for the loss of her fellow Servants and friends and believed Sona had left her behind. So for the longest time refused to have anything to do with Seria. It was only recently that they were at least on speaking terms with each other again.

"I have."

"Any progress?" Kalawarner asked.

Seria didn´t answer.

"Let us go back home," she just said.

With that the two teleported away.

* * *

**This Raiser here is of course the Gods of Darkness version, who had travelled to this world along with the rest of the stories cast. I have added him for a few reasons. The most simple that I wanted another male member for Issei´s team, along with him and Kiba.**

**The new Alternate version of the Church Trio appearing here are based on a idea suggested by**** Midnightson41. They are not part of any faction shown so far.**


	3. Chapter 3: Twisted Mirror

**Chapter 3**

_DxD Universe-1 - Kuoh_

Issei starred at his two opponents. The third - the double of Asia - was still standing back.

He had hoped he could do this quickly and without using Awakening. So much for that.

This Irina, as it looked, knew how to use the True Longinus. And the Xenovia double was powering up more and more.

On the other side, he was sure that his friends had already detected what was going on. So he might not even have to end this by himself. But that didn´t mean that he wouldn´t try to end this quickly.

To Issei´s surprise, It was Irina´s double who was the first to act. And even more, she was using the spear like a regular weapon to attack him.

After his experience with Cao Cao, Issei would have expected her to rely more on it´s special abilities. But this was Irina here, he reminded himself. Even if it was a crazy and possibly broken version of her. So he should not be surprised.

But she had also activated two of the Sacred Gear´s extra functions called `treasures´, that had manifested in the form of two glowing orbs, floating in the air close to them. And she could activate them any time.

He parried another one of the other `Irina s´ strikes with his own blade.

In this moment `Xenovia´ attacked as well.

And her power and fighting prowess was similar impressive… not to say frightening.

The power she displayed as she charged forward in the savage looking armor that had formed around her now rivalled that of a Satan Class Being. She was even stronger than the Xenovia he knew.

At least it would have been frightening for most people. Issei however was another case.

He had already ascended into his Crimson Awakening Mode. (That was simply formulated a mutated form of Crimson Cardinal.) But he had not manifested his usual red armor. From the outside, for the plain eye, he still looked like his regular civilian self.

But that was just the outside. The Scale Armor - no matter the version - he learned a long time ago, was merely a manifestation of the power, not it´s source - or even the power itself.

Still he materialized once again his right gaunlet around his sword and parts of his Crimson Armor up to his shoulder, as he turned around to parry Xenovia´s strike. The force with that their blades clashed created a shockwave around them.

Issei´s feet burried itself nearly five centimeters into the ground, as he stopped `Xenovia s´ blow.

Then he activated the special abilities of the Cronus Sword - or rather he used the weapon to access his own power. As the name suggested, it had been forged out of the sichel of the ancient Greek Titan Cronus and said to have inherited his powers over time.

This was not entire correct however, as Issei knew by now. What the sword did was to draw out it´s users own latent powers for time-manipulation - if this weilder possessed such abilities of course - and gave him easier access and control over this abilities. That was also the reason Issei didn´t actually need the weapon anymore.

He used it to open a small rift in time and space and moved himself from one point and time to another.

For anyone watching, he was just disappearing and showing up again a few seconds later. In truth however he was moving right through a hole in time-space he had created. Moving without leaving any traces of magic or energy.

…. And he reappeared right behind the Xenovia double and landed a hard kick in her back, that threw her off her feet and on the ground. She however only stood up again and turned around with a visible snarl.

Despite all their training and the new powers they learned, `their´ Xenovia and Irina could still `just´ be considered somewhere around Ultimate Class. This was still much higher than most beings in existence were.

But still far below **this.**

At the same time however, just like the other Irina, there seemed to be something wrong about her. As they continued fighting, it looked as it she was more and more being consumed by her rage.

In this moment Irina decided to use one of the special abilities of her own True Longinus. Issei sensed it instantly. `Wheel Treasure´ - an ability to destroy weapons, directed against his Cronus Blade. Smart - even if it was actually pointless now. But the other Irina had no way to know that he had outgrown his own weapon.

Still, he didn´t want it destroyed. He intended to give it back to Darien very soon. After all it had been a gift to help him develop his powers.

He could have shielded himself. But blocking the powers of the strongest Sacred Gear would cost a lot of energy. So he instead simply used the sword´s power on itself… to send it for a second into the future and let it seemingly disappear, in the same moment that `Irina s´ attack was unleashed.

`Xenovia´ of course tried to used the opportunity to send another strike at him. What he however had seen coming and dodged.

The next moment the sword had reappeard in his hand.

With a scream of anger the alternate Xenovia leaped forward. She dealt another number of wild slashed. Her face was twisted in fury. With every blow she seemed to be getting even more aggressive.

Issei felt nearly as if he was dealing with an wild animal. In this state it was as if she was driven by nothing but rage and anger.

She had to be some kind of berserker, he realized.

He decided it was enough. He had first intended to solve this in the `regular´ way. But this two were tough. It was time to use his powers to their full extent. The power to reshape reality itself by his will alone.

He concentrated on his three opponents. He `saw´ them - not just their shapes and bodies (If he had been in his normal state of mind, he would have surely been distracted by their breasts and figures, that he knew so well) - he saw deeper.

The energies flowing through them, the circulation of their powers... their life-energies, their minds, their souls. It were twisted and broken versions of the ones of his friends and lovers.

He sensed deep rooted pain and anger and hatred and trauma.

What had happened to them? he asked himself. Whatever it was, it must have been terrible.

He watched the `threads´ that were holding reality and destiny together… and with a thought in his mind, he cut a few of them off.

One moment later `Irina´ and `Xenovia´ were just standing there, powerless. Issei had cut off both their connections to their powers and weapons. The spear itself was still in `Irina s´ hand, she had just lost the ability to use it. Just like `Xenovia´ her sword... and her armor had disappeared.

They both were looking at him nearly sheepishly, not quite believing what just happened..

One moment later, both `Irina´ and `Xenovia´ were being frozen in time, not moving a limb, just standing there motionless like statues… literally frozen.

**xxx**

On some level inside his mind, Issei registered that he had just blocked the powers of two Satan Class Beings, one of them a Longinus user.

How far did his abilities to manipulate reality go? Issei asked himself sometimes. If he pushed himself and Ddraig far enough, could he froze an entire planet in time? Could he transfer a large city or even an entire country from one universe to the other?

Could he create a universe? Many Supernatural Beings, even weaker ones, were regulary forming small spatial dimensions for their uses. The Rating Games Areas of the Devils were probably the most famous of them.

But an actual stable universe, that could last for eons, grow by itself and eventually even carry life? That was something completely else.

He had actually asked Darien this question at one point during his training.

After a short silence, his first words had been:... "Better don´t try. You can never be quite sure what the outcome of this might be."

The implications of his words were not lost on him. That, when it came to raw power, he might actually be able to do it. But what he lacked was control and know how.

**xxx**

Two of his opponents were still standing completely lifeless.

Asia however was another matter. She was still standing there, starring at him. But she was neither frozen or powerless.

No - she was actually actively able to resist him.

As surprising as it sounded, sweet little Asia was actually the most powerful of his three opponents. Not only that, the nature of her power was clearly similar to his own. The ability to manipulate the universe itself on a fundamental level.

In the next moment however, some kind of energy seemed to be radiating from all three of them.

He had been right, he realized. These three were not on their own. There was something helping them.

Some outside force.

"What - what had happened?" `Irina´ asked.

"He had blocked your powers and froze you two in time," `Asia´ stated flatly. "This Issei Hyoudou is much stronger than we expected. It was only because of the influence of the Master that you have broken free."

The Master - so he was right, Issei thought.

"And he had just taken us out like that?" `Irina´ said.

"Fuck!" `Xenovia´ called out. "But together we can take him, right?"

"I am not sure," `Asia´ replied. Suddenly her head turned around.

"Someone is coming," she told them.

**xxxxxxx**

Similar like Issei himself, his friends had expected at least their first day back in town to be peaceful. And like him they were being disappointed.

They all had noticed the barrier Issei had errected nearly instantly, right in the middle of the town. They also knew that he had no reason to do that, unless there was something serious going on.

So a part of their Team - the ones who just happened to be around - teleported themselves to a spot close to the place where the clashing energies were. This were in this case, Raynare, Irina, Gaeriel, Kuroka-06, Xenovia and Asia, Murayama, Raiser and Yubeluna.

It of course had to be the park, Raynare thought as she realized where exactly it came from. Exactly where her `date´ with Issei had ended. Like so often before she felt a short painful stab of regret. She truly started to hate this place.

Whatever, right now it was the battleground between Issei and his mysterious opponents. So they all run in the direction where the fight took place. And entered Issei´s barrier a minute later.

What they saw gobsmacked them for a second, even after all they had faced with before.

"That is…" Xenovia said. Standing next to her, Irina had a similar surprised expression at seeing herself and her two friends fighting Issei.

"... Us," Asia finished Xenovia´s words.

Of course they had met other versions of themselves before, many times actually. But so far none of them came actually here to their own world to attack them. Not even Issei´s insane double or the Devil Hunters had gone that far.

"What do you want here?" Irina called out.

"I guess we can leave now," Alternate Irina stated. "This was just a test after all."

Asia´s double on her part was starring for a few moments at the group of newcomers. In particular at two of them, her own double and Raynare. It felt somewhat strange to her, even after all what happened, to see herself and her side by side… and obviously going along quite well. She asked herself what exactly happened in this world between herself and the Fallen Angel.

Their friend `Xenovia´ however had already re-manifested her armor and stormed forward again with her Sword raised and with a loud scream.

Issei´s friends powered up and manifested their own weapons. Raynare and Gaeriel had fomed two lightspears and Irina and Xenovia had summoned and raised their Excaliburs.

"Enough Xenovia!" Irina´s double however called out. "Remember, his is only a test."

Xenovia´s double stopped in her move. But she was still looking at them all as if she wanted to rip them apart with her bare hands.

"You have heard her," Alternate Asia added.

Then the other `Xenovia s´ expression finally changed and she dematerialized her weapon and armor.

"It is time for us to go," `Asia´ said.

"Do you really think we will just let you walk away?" Raiser asked them.

But before anyone of them could do anything, the three were suddenly surrounded by a darkly shimmering glow - by some kind of energy.

"What makes you think you could stop us?" Alternate Asia responded.

And then they were gone, teleported away.

"What had just happened?" Xenovia - their Xenovia - asked.

"Something had transported them away," Kuroka said. "But they didn´t transported by themselves, something else did it?"

With the three gone, Issei now finally powered down.

"There was something - a force - behind them, backing them up. I have already sensed it during our fight," he told them.

They all had a feeling that they would see these three again.

"Are you okay?" Irina asked him.

She stepped closer and laid her arms around him. Closely followed by Asia and Murayama, who were doing the same thing.

Murayama however also placed a quick kiss on his lips.

She, just like Rias, had come closer to Issei during the two years of Issei´s training/exile. In her case it had maybe even started before that. Depending on how you saw it. It had probably not been romantic at first.

If someone told her a few years ago that something would be going on between her and the leader of the perverted trio, she would not have believed it. In fact she would have most likely laughed at the idea.

But they had certainly become closer.

Not that he wasn´t a pervert. He certainly was. With his dream of a harem of girls, which he now in fact actually possessed (and herself actually being part of it now).

With his fixation on breasts and constant lust for nearly every girl he met. These two aspects however became far more subtle and controlled during the last years. Funny, there was a time when she would have taken the words Issei Hyoudou and self-control as a contradiction.

Well - despite all that, Murayama certainly **had** fallen for his heroic side. Not that she didn´t come to appreciate his perverted one too... at least in bed. The thought nearly made her blush.

They had both become part his harem, that currently consisted of them, Raynare, Irina, Asia, Gaeriel and Ravel, who claimed herself to be and actually was something of a fangirl of Issei, ever since he had saved her from a kidnapping.

Still, ever since Issei had used his new powers to resurrect Murayama, after her own curiousity technically got her killed, she could not help to see another side of him.

One moment later Rias and her peerage arrived. They had noticed the fight as well of course.

"What had happened here?" Rias asked as well, as she saw that whoever they had been fighting was already gone.

**xxxxxxx**

Technically she was still one of the Devils leading Kuoh, Issei reminded himself. Even if, like himself, she had let her double from Universe-05 temporally take over her position.

Now however, with their return, this would be over as well.

Their counterparts from DxD-Universe-05 had fled their home dimension after an apocalyptic war that their world had barely survived. But that ultimately led to a misled human race, influenced by a corrupted and fanaticed Church and Heaven taking over.

And, as absurd as it sounded at first, a short time after they had made their first contact, they had - with the agreement of the leaders of the three Factions - group by group transported the entire surviving members of the Devil and Fallen races of their world to this one.

It was an agreement to the mutual benefit actually. The interdimensional `refugees´ got a save place where they could live, the Devil and Fallen Angel Factions of this world got to boost the low numbers of their population. Even if it was for the greatest part with alternate versions of people who already lived here.

This led to the quite absurd situation that there were currently two, sometimes even three, sets of the same persons in this world. They for example had three Kurokas here.

The actual one from this universe - who was part of the team of Vali Lucifer and as they had heard, had recently become his lover.

The one from Universe-05 - who was an ally and friend of the Issei of Universe-05 and part of his harem.

And the Kuroka from Universe-06 - who had joined Issei´s interdimensional Guardian team.

Koneko, who was not very socially skilled on her best days anyway, had more than once about the weirdness that she now technically had three sisters. (Not to mention that she used to be terrified of Kuroka because she falsely believed she had gone insane.)

That and on top another, slightly older, version of herself, who was - along with her Kuroka (not to mention Rias and Akeno and several others) - fucking her world´s version of Issei.

Yes - to say that it was weird would be an understatement.

Their Universe-05 counterparts had spend a great part of the last two years after their arrival to hunt down and eliminate threats to this world. To stop them before they could fully arise. Threats that included Khaos Brigade, the God Hades and especially the monstrous Dragon God Trihexa.

They had promised themselves to do everything to prevent this world from becoming like their own.

Now however, their other selves had decided that they wanted to retreat into a normal life… at least for the next years. Now that they had done everything they could. As far as Issei and the others knew, their doubles had been nearly constantly been in one conflict or the other for nearly five years now.

So their wish for a peaceful life for some years was only understandable and clearly earned. To that came that Issei´s older counterpart and a few of his girls already already had children with each other.

The first two already born in the first year after they had arrived in this world and more probably coming sooner or later. They wanted the chance to raise them in peace and were given it.

So their Universe-05 doubles had retreated to a secret private location and would most likely not been heard of for a while.

Well - they deserved their time for themselves, he thought.

**xxxxxxx**

After a few explanations, Rias and her peerage were similar surprised.

She walked closer to Issei.

"Can you tell us more about these three? Have they said anything?" she asked him.

"Not much," he replied. "They had just attacked me and said something about it being a test. And about some kind of Master."

"The same being who had transported them away?" Akeno questioned.

"Possible - very likely actually," Issei responded.

"Anyway, I am happy that you are okay," Rias told him with a smile."But it is unlikely that they could have done anything to you anyway, right?"

"Don´t underestimate them," Irina said. "They were dangerous."

"Yes - especially Asia," Raynare added.

"Me?" the former Nun asked.

"This other Asia, she had some kind of great hidden power. I could feel it."

"She was," Issei confirmed. "I don´t think she was anywhere on my level. But she was dangerous. And with the help of the other two? I am not sure."

"Then I am even more happy that you are okay," Rias said to him.

Like with Murayama, they both came together during the time Issei had been out of business at the world called Hyrion. One of the reasons, as they both admitted, was at first curiousity on Rias part. At least in the beginning.

He remembered the time that would, looking back, probably counted as their first dates... and what came before.

**xxxxxxx**

_The world Hyrion - one and a half year earlier - evening_

Issei was in the room that was his for his stay in this world. The sight was actualy a little bizarre. With a room itself and most of the furniture looking like it was part of the Middle Age, but filled with things that belonged to a teenager of the 21st century. Like a bedside lamp, a radio, a laptop (with a few futuristic extras the Guardians had given to him.) and an alarm clock.

Issei himself was currently lying naked on the bed, which was one thing they had also brought here from their home-world. And like so often at the end of his days, he was not lying alone in this bed, but surrounded by nearly equally naked girls.

The one woman moving on top of his lap right now and riding his manhood, with only a string thong hanging loosely from one of her legs was the brunette Fallen Angel Gaeriel.

One of the two other girls was the dark haired Fallen Angel Raynare, who was currently sitting on Issei´s face, as he pleasured her orally. Raynare was as well nearly naked. Except for her black high-heeled leather boots she was usually wearing in her Fallen Angel form.

Both of the Fallen girls had materialized one pair of their black wings, while they were doing it together.

The last girl was Ravel Phenex, wearing only white stockings and a loosely hanging bra, who was lying on the side, her blonde hair still in her typical spirale like ponytails. With Issei´s right hand gliding over hand body and her own finger between her legs, pleasuring herself. And waiting for her turn.

Gaeriel on top of him, started to move faster.

"Ah yeah - ah," she moaned, her face gimacing in pleasure. "Ahh- Ah Yes!" she finally cried out as she came.

After a second, Gaeriel was moving off him and Raynare was taking her place. After she had literally impaled herself on his dick, she continued to ride him in the same manner Gaeriel did for a minute… before they changed positions.

Issei lifted her up and Raynare wrapped her legs around him. Then he moved with her through the room, while she was moving on him.

Before he pressed her body against the wall of the room as he continued to thrust into her.

"Funny. Do - do you remember?" she said to him. "It was exactly like this when we were doing it the first time. How did you say? Who knew that a bitch could felt so good inside."

"Yes," he said, while he was fondling one of her large breasts, "but back then you had been Yuuma-chan, right?"

She gave him a quick grin, before her entire form suddenly changed. She had transformed into her human form called Yuuma, her Body shrinked a bit, her wings disappeared and her very few clothes changed.

Both of them let out a light groan as she changed, for a very simple reason.

"Goddamnit - you are even tighter than usual when you are Yuuma," Issei whispered, "even if your breasts are a little smaller."

"But you like them anyway," she replied. "Issei - I am sorry that I hurt you." She was now talking in her sweet typical highschool-girl `Yuuma voice´. "Please forgive me... but only after you fucked me so hard that I will never forget it." She grinned.

Issei was now nearly stopping holding back at all. He was ramming into her like crazy and less than a half minute later he literally exploded inside her, while Raynare came with a loud scream as well.

They were looking at each other while he was holding her in his arms. His member was slowly gliding out of her.

"I am truly a messed up woman aren´t I?" she said.

"You are. But I love you anyway... and I forgave you a long time ago." He felt how she winced a bit at the last part.

"Besides, I am hardly the one to talk about being messed up, right?" Issei said.

"Neither I am," Gaeriel reminded them. She was now sitting at the edge of the bed next to Ravel. "And if you remember, I had done nearly the same shit as you in my youth." She sighed. "I had actually been worse. Maybe you can `punish´ me too from time to time," she said to Issei.

"Count on it," he replied smiling.

Gaeriel was by her age by far the oldest member of his harem, even more than Raynare and the oldest of their team. She and Raynare were both hot like hell, in their bodies and their spirit both.

He was already growing hard again.

But now he turned to the last girl in the room. Ravel was still lying on the bed beside where Gaeriel sat.

"Issei," she said. He noticed that she was rubbing her legs together in an a bit cute but quite erotic way. "Can you finally do it with me now? I can not take it anymore."

"You could have waited till tomorow," Gaeriel said to her with a hint of smugness. "Today should have been mine and Raynare´s turn, since we are leaving this morning."

"I didn´t want to wait another day. I had just gotten permission from my parents to be with Issei and I wanted this now."

"You got permission from your parents to have sex?" Raynare asked curiously.

"No," Ravel said a bit awkwardly, "I meant that my parents have finally made up their minds that I can fully be with Issei and that they won´t have me merry anyone else. And I wanted to…"

"Okay - I get your point," Raynare interrupted her.

"Issei - please come here to me now," Ravel said.

As she said this, she was raising her left leg and bend it in a quite erotic looking way and started to slowly pulled off one of her stockings, before she finally threw it to the ground in a cocky looking gesture.

"Where have you learned to act like this?" Gaeriel asked her.

"From human movies," Ravel said `innocently´.

Issei was now done holding back once more, after seeing this display. One moment later he was kneeling on top of her, with her spreading her legs and him starting to push into her.

At first he moved slowly. Until...

"Yes Issei - ah move faster please," she moaned.

They turned around, with Ravel now being on top. After a few more minutes she was riding him just as wildly as the other two had done it.

They continued like that till long past midnight. With the girls taking turns and Issei making short breaks in between.

**xxx**

The rest of their teammates, including the other girls - at least the ones who were currently in this world - were in the two neighboring rooms.

They were aware that the others could hear what they were doing. They were not exactly trying to be quiet at all after all.

Xenovia and Kiba often responded by doing the same themselves and trying to be even louder than them. The rest mostly tolerated it. The remaining members of Issei´s small harem especially, since they knew that they were just as loud when it was their own turn.

The only one who usually complained was Koneko, who was not visiting here often anyway.

This night however, the noise caused for two different girls a mixture of jealousy and lust. Murayama would never admit it to anyone, but she was masturbating while hearing the sounds. She was alone right now, with her roommates Raynare and Gaeriel currently being over there.

In the room in the opposite direction, Rias was doing the same thing. She tried to stay quiet, but not that much. It was not as if she was truly worried. Even if they caught her doing this, the worst what could happen to her was some friendly mocking and teasing.

She was not even quite sure when exactly she became interested in Issei the first time. Maybe right after meeting her older counterpart from Universe-05. That other Rias was a part of the older Issei´s harem. And not only her, the other Akeno, Koneko, Xenovia and Ravel and several others as well. And her other self seemed to be happy with this.

They all were, if you wanted to call it that, a big - though perverted - Family.

And after some time Rias could not help to secretly image herself in the same position.

Not that she hadn´t been impressed, even fascinated, with Issei for a while now. She even admitted she admired him.

Looking back, she was actually happy that she hadn´t succeeded in turning him into her Servant. No - she wanted **him** to be the one in charge.

This thought caused her to let out a louder moan, as she was fingering herself.

"Are you okay Rias-buchou?" Akeno´s teasing voice came suddenly from the other side of the room. "I thought I just heard something. You are not doing something naughty, aren´t you?" This was followed by a light giggle.

The room was dark, but Rias knew that her face must had turned just as red as her hair.

"You…" she growled for a short moment at her Queen, before she let herself sink back down into her bed. "Yes I am," she then willingy admitted.

This caused only louder laughter.

"I guess that means we will have you in that room over there an hear you getting fucked as well Buchou? Just great," the annoyed voice of Koneko spoke up.

Damn it. They both had heard her.

"Oh shut up Koneko," she responded aloud. "You are barely here with us anyway, maybe once every couple of months, so don´t act as if it is that bad for you."

"I had not seen my sister in years - my real sister. And I rather spent time with her than to come here with you to a Middle Age World, just to sit around at day and listen to Issei have sex with girls at night - thank you."

This caused only more giggle from Akeno once again.

"Okay - we will leave this for the night. But tomorow we will talk about this, you can count on that… Master," her Queen announced.

"I know," Rias said in resignation.

**xxxxxxx**

_The next day_

Issei had spend the first half of the last day training and the rest of it together with some of his friends, especially with the girls.

Now they were sitting together in the ancient looking tavern of the town he was currently living in.

Sitting right with him was Ravel, who had spend a great part of the last day (and the night) with him. Murayama, Rias, Akeno and Koneko were sitting at a table close by.

Kiba and Xenovia where also here. But they were at a table at the other side of the room, on their own date you could say.

Irina and Asia were currently not here. They were in their makeshift base back in their own world. Raynare and Gaeriel had left this morning, to join them on another small mission.

The others all knew that they and Ravel did have sex with Issei last night. And they had not been holding back at all. The loud moans and shouts had been easy enough to hear through the walls.

They all also knew that for the Phenex girl, it had been her first time, with Issei or at all.

Rias could not help to feel somewhat jealous. She knew that it was irrational, since Ravel had shown interest in Issei months before she did. But still, that the flat-chested `cute little girl´ Ravel Phenex actually got it before her? It somehow irked her. Especially with Akeno having been egging her on the entire day.

**xxx**

Their friend Kuroka-06 was still somewhere outside. Either by herself or maybe with that Guardian woman named Specter. Kuroka actually spend most of her time on her own. She had lost pretty much everything and everyone back in her own world. So they all could understand why she kept her distance from all of them.

This made it kind of ironic that she and Specter were actually talking with each other. Like Kuroka-06, she was a woman of few words.

Still, there were at least a few members of their team she was at least talking to sporadically. In first line of course with Issei, since she helped him to train and with Gaeriel, who had been part of the Guardians for over a century before the rest of them had been recruited. And also with Asia, Irina, Raynare and to a lesser degree Xenovia.

But there were also a few of their team whose existence she practically seemed to ignore. Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Kiba and Ravel, who were not really part of their team but came often to visit. It was clear that she was avoiding the Devils under them.

That was something that should not have really surprised them, given the problems their organization originally had with the Devil Faction. It was only logical that at least a few members would not let go of their resentment that quickly.

Even more ironical, Kuroka would have been a member of the same race as well, had they not agreed to remove her Evil Pieces and let her transform back into her birthrace. Specter however didn´t seem to care about this.

Rias and her Servants had already considered to talk to the elder Guardian about this matter. But so far they could not quite bring themselves to actually do this.

**xxx**

Right now however Rias had other things on her mind anyway. She saw Issei sitting at his table, eating and drinking, with the Phenex girl next to him.

Rias stood up and started to walk towards them. She had made up her mind. After she had made a few steps however she heard a noise behind her and as she looked around, she saw to her surprise that Murayama had stood up as well, just a few moment after her. And she was heading in the same direction.

They all had noticed that the human girl had grown closer to Issei as well. They had actually teased her about it regulary. Had she finally decided to act on it?

Their eyes met each other. Neither of them would try to hold the other girl back. Not that they were in any position to. Issei had a harem after all and that was the only reason they could even do this. If he had a single girlfriend, it would be either Raynare or Irina and certainly not them.

They sat down right next to him.

"Hey," Rias said to him. "We just want to ask if we can spend the day with you tomorow?"

**xxxxxxx**

_M-Universe 001 (Home Universe of the `Guardian´ - Caerleon Organization) - Earth - Great Brittain, the year 2727_

They had just returned from their journey to the world called Hyrion, where they had just send off Issei Hyoudou a short time earlier.

Their own home was another version of Earth. One were some things were pretty similar, others completely different. There was for example no Fallen Angel (Grigori) or Devil Factions.

Or even a Devil race like Issei´s world knew it. There were Demons, Angels and Fallen Angels, but they had a different history and did not get involved with Earth and humanity to nearly the same degree as in Issei´s world.

Instead the Fallen Angels who had once been the Watchers had never really separated themselves from the ones who had followed Lucifer. This Lucifer also fell much earlier than his counterpart, so that his version of Hell was not habitated by any older Demons yet. (And it **was** Hell, not simply the Underwold like the DxD realities knew them.)

Sacred Gears didn´t exist. That didn´t mean however that there weren´t other Supernatural artifacts and weapons.

The probably greatest difference however was that the God known from the bible was a different Entity.

Or better said the God this universe refered to was the real one. Not an in anyway mortal or even physical being, but the force who had created and watched over the entire Multiverse

The one who had existed in Issei´s reality had been an incarnation and avatar of the actual creator. An avatar who could... and **did** die. Issei and his companions came from a world where God - as he was described in their bible - died a long time ago. But that also meant that he had never truly allmighty or truly eternal - not what you would imagine God - in the first place

Here he was **both** of it.

**xxx**

There were also some great differences in the history of humanity by itself. Especially since the 20th century. With the apperance of several groups of superpowered human beings. The most prominent of them the so called mutants - or homo superior. And one of the most prominent group of them being the so called X-men.

And also with the contact with several alien species that first happened around this time.

With this the existence of the Supernatural had of course also been revealed to the human public. The reality of Sorcerers - like the legendary Doctor Strange, Demons, so called Gods and even Cosmic Entities was widely known at the brink of the 21st Century.

Things then ultimately led to the first Interdimensional War called the Great Conflict between the Guardians and the Dark Order. During that time the original Guardians merged with other organizations, like the X-men, the Avengers and the Justice League of Universe M-003 and became the interdimensional force it was today.

This period ended finally in a long state of Cold War.

By now, over 700 years later, their Earth was a known and respected member of the Galactic community. And also the Headquarter of the powerful Guardian Organization.

**xxx**

The woman calling herself Specter didn´t return directly to their organization´s Headquarters. Instead she went to a regular appartmen that she had rented under an assumed name - Sarah Ross in this case.

The appartment was in an suburban area of the City of London.

Darien had the right idea, she thought. Just pretend to be normal for a few days - or maybe weeks. Just like everyone else.

What she never would have expected was the person waiting for her right next to the entrance.

On the first look it was just a young man, maybe in his mid twenties. He was wearing a simply dark colored coat, trousers and boots. He had shoulder long black hair, a thin but still quite musculous figure, pale skin and, as she saw, had grown a thin mustache and beard since she had seen him the last time.

But he was anything but normal. Like with herself, his appearance meant very little. While she was quite sure that they were **both** using their original looks from when they were still mortal, they could change it at will.

He was the being currently calling himself Faust - one of the Lords of the Dark Order. Once he had been a nearly normal human. Born with magical potential and the gift of the `second sight´, but still human.

Now he was one of the most powerful and dangerous beings in all existence.

But to her, he was also something else.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

A light smile formed on her lips.

"Should you not be out there corrupting a universe or something?"

"I am happy to see you again as well my love," he replied calmly. "You don´t know how much I have missed you - your spirit, you beauty... and your sharky humor," he added after a short pause.

"Seth -" she greeted the man. "... or shall I call you Faust now?" she asked him. "I admit the name suits you. That play was always one of your favorites, right?"

"Not only mine. Tell me - how are things going between you and John - or should I call him Darien? Well, you know as good as I that our names don´t really matter."

"No - they don´t. At least anymore. How did you come here without my comrades notice?"

"Oh - they know I am here," he told her. "And you are not that naive. Of course they have noticed. They just know challenging me could very easily mean the end of this planet and the entire solar System. So they are careful."

"Of course," she replied seemingly casual.

She had been too shocked by him just standing in front of her door, but now that she was actually paying attention she could sense the energies of a few of her comrades close by. Like Faust they were hiding the most of their presence, but they were noticable.

And to be honest, until right now she had simply just reduced herself to her old physical mortal self and had suppressed all her supernatural abilities. So ofcourse she had not noticed any of them.

She had just wanted to relax and act like a normal person for a short while. Just like Darien said so often. Not hat she had ever been truly anywhere close to whar counted as normal in the first place.

She could sense Alucard, Stephen Strange - another one of their most powerful - and a few others.

As she saw further, she could also sense the presence of a large number of very tense, but disciplined minds just outside of this town. Soldiers - either troops belonging to the Guardians or regular Army.

But she could now also sense that Faust was not alone either. In some distance away, probably in one of the neighboring towns, she could sense another presense.

One that was nearly identical to Alucard´s. She knew perfectly who it was. The one of his counterparts who was standing on the other side. The member of the Lords calling himself Dracula. So her comrade was in a sense literally facing himself.

She was actually a bit emberassed for having overseen them all. Even if she had intentionally suppressed herself.

"Why are you here?" she asked again.

"Is it so hard to imagine that I just wanted to see you?," he told her. "Or did you simply think I would not come here to this planet?"

"So this is just another one of our `meetings´," she stated. "And no - of all things I would not have expected you to show up right in front of the appartment, less than a fifty miles from our Headquarters."

"You should know better than to understimate me. Beside that, who says that we doesn´t have an Invasion force somewhere, ready to open a portal and come in?"

"You would start a new Great Conflict if you did that. All that just to see **me**? You could easily waited another week for that, when I would be somewhere else. Or do you have other reasons as well for being here?"

"You know me well enough. And who says a new conflict is not beginning anyway? - something else you know as good as me," he said. "But the most important reason is quite simple," he said.

"Tell me - are you happy?"

"What?" she asked confused.

"Are you happy protecting creatures who would despise you and look down on you if they knew what you really are? How many of the beings you are fighting for now would only see you as a liveless doll, a tool… a machine?... If they knew the truth.

And then what about your organization´s newest allies? The Devils of the DxD Universe Cluster. A race who has the habbit of enslaving other beings by just transforming and twisting them into their image. Using them as fighters, servant, gun-fodder and playthings. Thinking that they are better than anyone around them because of status they have given themselves.

Do you really like that thought my dear? Especially if this entire situation reminds you so much of your own past? How do you think creatures like that would look at you… if they knew your past?"

For a split-second, she froze uncomfortable.

"I never cared who your creators intended you to be." He made one step closer to her. "Only who you **are**. Who you have become by yourself."

"Just like Darien and the others," she replied.

"Yes - but would the creatures you are not interacting with, who you allowed into your ranks, think the same way?"

He was voicing her own doubts.

"Things have already changed there," she said. "They are not longer allowed transform people without their permission - only volunteers. Devils who are mistreating their Servants are being punished and stripped of their status. And..."

"Yes-" he interrupted, "**after** your comrades used political pressure on them - showing them your power - while hanging the possibility of an alliance over their heads the entire time. Or - if they don´t agree to your terms, to **only** form an alliance with their rivals.

Very well played by Darien and Gaeriel, really. I am impressed. Still - they are only changing for their own self-interest," he commented.

"But would it not been far more satisfying to **crush** them?" he said to her. "To make them kneel before you? To show these slave drivers once and for all that they can not treat other beings like this? Instead of acting friendly and shaking hands with them?

To let many of them get away with treating other beings like... like the humans in your home-world treated you?"

"Is this what you think?" she asked him angrily.

"No - my dear," he replied, "this is what **you** are secretly thinking deep down. Don´t even try to deny this. I know you."

She was now even more uncomfortable than before.

The truth - she was an Android. With organic components, but still an artificial being. Just one member of an entire race, created by the human population of one of the many parallel Earths, as workers, disposable soldiers, tools an toys - a race of biomechanical slave. Once - a long time ago. Before she became what she was now.

"There is a reason you had been chosen as the new vessel for the Specter my love - a force of wrath and vengeance."

She silently admitted he was right.

"Please just stop this," she said loud. "I know how you can manipulate people."

"Is it truly manipulation if I speak out what you are thinking inside?" he asked her in a soft time.

He was now standing right before her, laid his arms around her shoulders and gave her a short kiss.

"You remember your home? If you just said it, we could return there, back in the past. Or to a timeline practically identical. We can take over this world together and free your kind - years earlier as it had happened in your own past. We can save the friends you had lost and destroy all the ones who had oppressed and hurt them. And we can renew your entire homeworld.

All you need to do is… **say it**."

"To what price?" she asked. They both knew the answer. "Please," she said, "... just go for now."

"If that is what you wish my love," he answered. "But we will talk about this again another time."

With that he teleported away. The other hostile presence in a few miles distance was disappearing as well.

Left behind was a being who had once been a artificial woman, who had become the vessel of a Supernatural Entity. Left behind with her comrades in a few miles distance… and with her own doubts.

**xxxxxxx**

_DxD Universe 1 - the present_

Meanwhile in the home-universe of Issei and the others, things had more or less returned to like they were before the two years. Going on missions, defending their world from intruders, like this mysterious trio and looking for signs of Kalawarner.

So they had more or less spend another three days.

But a few things **had** changed.

For once the fact that a few of the rooms of the formerly abandoned mansion that had become their base were now filled with computers and all kind of futuristic devices, that had been delivered to help them with their work.

He and Rias and her peerage were now also officially out of school, with their doubles having made their last year in their stead.

Officially Issei, Rias and the others were now working for the new Kobayashi-Caerlon Company. Which was in fact nothing but a cover for the Guardian organization in their world.

While Sona and her peerage were in a similar way `hired´ by one of the strawman companies of the Devils.

**xxx**

After his fight with the Irina, Asia and Xenovia doubles, Issei had first gone home to see his parents. As one can imagine, the reunion was quite heartfelt.

His mother had just trown her arms around him after looking at him for a short moment and drew him into a fierce hug.

His father acted a bit more reserved, but only on the outside.

"Son it is good to see you again in person," he told him. Then he laíd his arms on Issei´s shoulder as well.

During the two years, they had only exchanged messages.

He would also meet up with Matsuda and Motohama later this day. To catch up and talk about what they had been doing this last two years.

During the next few days, he would also have a number of meetings with the Three Faction´s Leaders who wanted to officially welcome him back to their world. The first being with Sirzechs and the other Satans the next morning.

**xxx**

During the time Issei was gone they and their contacts in the Guardian HQ had continued their search for universes that showed signs of dimensional breaks and were Kalawarner could be. Most of them turned out to be dead ends. Other dimension-travellers, anomalies in time and space etc. With other words the kind of work the Headquarter or other bases had been doing for them when they were still beginners.

This was something else he would have to get used to.

As it turned out however, they had also discovered two worlds that were possible candidates. Both of them very similar to their own - a.k.a part of their own cluster.

They had already send out a couple of the tiny probe-drones the Senior Guardians had provided them with.

The information they had received from the first one had looked qute normal, at least on the first look. The second however, in the place where should have been Kuoh Academy was nothing but a large crater. And some kind of memorial in front of it. It looked pretty clear that something really bad had happened in that version of their town.

They would make a visit in person to this two worlds very soon.


	4. Chapter 4: Strays and Fallen

**Chapter 4**

_DxD Universe-1 - Kuoh_

It was now seven days since Issei Hyoudou had returned. These few days they had also spend in (by their standards) more or less quite normal and peaceful ways.

The last day however was a bit less `normal´.

A group of unknown Supernatural Beings had appeared at Kuoh´s border. As it turned out, they were a small group of Stray Devils, seeking asylum.

And it was being granted. Like several times before. Things had changed drastically in the last two years. The so called Stray Devils were not longer indiscrimately signed for execution and hunted down.

Instead the ones who were still on the run were mostly ignored, unless they were actively causing trouble. The ones who were caught had a choice, either they were put on a trial before an independant court, watched over by all three Factions or they were requesting asylum by the Guardians.

Many were also coming to as for asylum on their own. That meant in effect of course they were coming here, to Issei´s team.

xxx

The members of their team who greeted them at the borders of the town were Issei, Asia, Irina, Xenovia, Murayama and Raynare. Rias and her Peerage or even Raiser were for obvious reasons not with them.

The Strays were three - one man, two women. Until a short time ago this would have been quite unusual. Stray Devils didn´t use to travel in groups. That was of course mostly because they used to be hunted down with deadly force.

The man had a tall muscular statue, reddisch colored skin and pointed ears.

"I am Ehron," he introduced himself.

One of the females looked very young - a teenage girl maybe 16 or 17 in human terms. Blonde with very pale skin. Of course they had no way how long ago their transformation into Devils had been. So they all could actually be centuries old.

As they looked at her hands, they saw that her fingers were unnaturally long and ended in large very sharp looking talons.

Both she and the man showed light but very clear signs of stray mutation. This deformation of course might actually increase and become worse, when they actually unleashed their energies and fully powered up. Just like they probably could hide them and tempory return to completely human if they completely suppressed them, like many Strays they had seen before.

The second woman looked older, maybe around 30 with brown hair. Issei had the suspicion that she and the younger girl could be related. Kuroka and Koneko came to his mind.

The older woman looked completely normal, even if she had released part of her power. That either meant that she had enormous control of her energy, like for example Kuroka and so managed to avoid the mutations entirely, or at least enough control to use a certain level of power and stay in fully humanoid form.

"I am Maya," she introduced herself. She looked at the younger girl. "And this is Rey."

"You are looking for asylum," Asia said.

"Yes," the man named Ehron confirmed.

But could they simply bring them along or were they dangerous and should be restraint? That was the question. The side-effects of the uncontrolled Evil Pieces led often not only to physical mutations, but also to mental defects and psychosis.

And what if they were true criminals? Who had harmed others not because of Evil Piece induced madness, but because they wanted to. It was not always easy, but Darien and Spectre had showed him how to identify magical influences on someones mind.

They didn´t look like it (in fact the two females were really cute, he thought for a short moment. Self control, he told himself) but he had learned the hard way not to trust the first glance.

Issei took a short telepathic look into their minds. This was necessary.

And he saw. Interesting, there had been times when the Stray insanity had actually appeared for all of them. But each time they had been actually holding each other back from actually doing anything harmfull. Each time one of them had nearly lost control, the other two had helped him. Good.

"It is alright," Issei said to them. "You are not longer in danger."

They teleported themselves and the three Stray refugees into their base/mansion.

There of course it could not be avoided that they would meet Rias and the others. The three were looking at her, Akeno and Kiba with a mixture of anger and fear. Mostly anger with the man, a quite even mix with the older and mostly fear with the younger woman.

"Rias and the others will not harm you," Raynare told them. "As long as they are here they are part of our group and not the Devil Faction and will follow our rules."

"This is true," Rias stated in an quiet tone. "Things are different not. We are no threat to you."

"Just keep your distance from us," the woman named Maya said.

xxx

The situation was not made better, as a short time later two more Devils appeared in the mansion.

The first was Sairaorg Bael - Rias cousin, current Head of the Bael House and currently leader of the E.P.S-(Evil Piece System)special-force, that was now overseeing both the use of the Evil Pieces by the High Class Devils and their treatment of reincarnated Devils... and the dealings regarding Strays.

This group answered to the leaders of all Three Factions equally.

The second Devil was a well known face.

"Sairaorg, Gaspar," Rias greeted both her cousin and the small Half-Vampire Devil.

"Rias," Sairaorg returned the greeting.

"Buchou," Gaspar replied.

Two years ago he had finally started to come out into the outside world, after being sealed away for years because of his lack of control and fear of the outside.

As Rias had however decided to join Issei´s Guardian team and Akeno and Kiba had decided to follow her, he decided for himself that travels to other universes were simply too much for him. Instead he had rather chosen to join the E.P.S-Force as he heard of this group.

He was of course still a member of Rias peerage. But over the time he had started to get along with his new colleagues quite well.

"How have you been?" Kiba asked him..

"Good," Gaspar answered. "I actually like my work."

"Sairaorg," Issei greeted him. "What can we do for you?"

"We have heard that another group have Strays have come here. I wanted to ask if they are okay or if there is a case for us with them?"

"It is okay. They are peaceful," Issei replied.

"But it is hard to believe that this is the only reason you came here in person," Rias commented. "A call would have been enough."

"True," Sairaorg admitted. "Actually Gaspar had just wanted to visit you all for a while. And I decided this was a good idea and came as well. There is not much going on at the moment anyway," he admitted.

"So this Strays are good you say?" he asked, looking at Issei.

"They are," he said.

It was not the first time something like this had happened, by far not.

During the last two years, the Guardians had used their rising influence in this world to press the Devils and the other Factions to cease the practically systematical killing of Stray Devils.

And especially to stop the quasy blanco death sentences the Devil Faction did put on them.

Many Devils didn´t like this change. But given that nobody wanted to lose their new ally from another Dimension - especially with Grigori and Heaven still on good terms with them and actually backing up their agenda - most accepted it.

Their alliance with the Guardians would give them, at least they hoped so, access to new worlds and also protection from all the potential threats out there. And these threats were a lot, going by the regular reports from Rias Gremory.

Not to mention the horror stories they had heard from the refugees from Universe-05 and what happened to their world.

None of them wanted to loose this. And especially they didn´t want the Angels and Fallen to have it, while they did not.

This entire development finally came down to a confrontation in front of a gathering of the Heads of Houses and the Satans themselves. On the one side them, on the other representatives of the Guardians and the other Factions.

xxxxxxx

_Flashback - 18 months earlier - the Underworld_

The one who was speaking in front of the Assembled Devil Lords first was Gaeriel - or better said, in truth it was Darien.

His words. His voice. They had earlier, since Darien could not appear in this world because of the stand off with the Dark Order, to form a telepathic connection, that allowed him to speak through her.

The speach they delivered together was devastating. The hunting of the Stray Devils was not an attempt to protect the world, humanity or even the interests of the Devil Faction. It was a closed system of slavery, abuse, oppression and mass murder.

The Devils, so the accusation, had with the Stray Devils deliberately created a menace that they now used as an excuse for systematical killings of beings without a fair trial or in some cases even an investigation.

Responsible for the violent and insane behavior of many Stray Devils was a flaw in the Evil Piece System that caused the demonic energies to go out of control if a Servant broke away from his Master - if it even was a flaw and not, like Gaeriel (Darien) nearly openly implied, a deliberate trap installed to keep their slaves under control.

In short, High Class Devils were intentionally forcing other beings into servitude - things like having the permission of the reincarnated Devil even knowing what happened to them were never required for the use of the Evil Pieces - and then they acted innocent when their Servants rebelled against them.

The cases of Kuroka and the late Diodora Asteroth were brought up as examples for the abuse of the Evil Piece System. Many Devils looked visible emberassed about the second example, because it both involved Ajuka Beelzebub´s - a Satan´s - brother and his manipulations to steal away over a dozen Nuns from the Church to turn them into his sex-slaves. Something that could have alone caused a war.

And still, attempts to reform the System had never been made.

In the end the Evil Piece System in the current form was labeled as a crime against humanity, the other Supernatural Factions and the world as a whole. Then Azazel and Michael stepped Forward, next to Gaeriel on the Podium.

Both Faction Leaders confirmed their agreement to Gaeriel´s analyses… and then announced that they already agreed to a closer alliance and a defense pact under similar conditions. Experiments on human beings, like for the creation of stronger Exorcists or the intentional targeting of Sacred Gear users as potential threats or power-sources would be forever outlawed.

Should the Devils not accept these terms, they ended, they would be the only Faction left out.

"So for the Devils to be accepted as part of the alliance, we have the following conditions," Gaeriel announced.

"Like Heaven and Grigori have already agreed to cease their own moralically questionable activities, the Devils will first only recruit other beings through the Evil Piece System who had willingly and in full control of themselves accepted the process.

Further - Servants are not to be physically or mentally harmed, forced into activities outside of the duties they had agreed to perform for their Masters or needlessly endangered. High Class Devils who are caught breaking this rules will be put before an independant court, judged and punished.

Second - the cases of all Stray Devils currently free will be readdressed and investigated by the same court. A new strike-force will be established that will enforce these rules and answers directly to the Mao and the other Faction Leaders.

Third - the Maou Ajuka Beelzebub, since he was the one who had created the flawed Evil Piece System in the first place will take the responsibility for the atrocities connected to it and willingly step down from his position," she ended.

As expected, many of the assembled Devil Nobles were furious. A few even more than the others. Not just because of this Fallen Angel trying to tell them what they should do with their Servants. But especially because being cornered like this.

The sheer audacity of this filthy Fallen to actually dare to give them an ultimatum like this. At this blatant provokation. To threaten to treat them like common criminals and that right here in their own hall.

And to demand from a Maou to step down. It was unbelievable. It was unacceptble. This Fallen needed to die. It was not as if she was even anything special. They could sense that she had barely six wings.

But for now they were holding back. For the moment.

The reactions of other Househeads were more reasonable. They knew their could not be left out of this alliance. Like the Maou, they had also been informed about what was waiting out there, the dangers beyond their world.

Some simply refused to believe it. They claimed this stories about cosmic threats that could destroy their world were nothing but lies to scare them into submission, to trick them into giving up their power.

That the Satans, Rias Gremory and even the Phenex Clan confirmed all these reports was a fact they ignored.

But others here did not ignore reality.

xxx

"Wow - Gaeriel is really puting on a show," Rias said from the ranks of spectators where she was watching. She and her peerage had just returned from their last visit to Issei a few days ago.

Both she and Murayama had been on a date with Issei the day before, when they had visited him. But it had not gone any further between them... yet.

Sitting next to her were Sona and Tsubaki on one side and Akeno, Kiba, Koneko and Gaspar on the other.

Raynare, Irina and Xenovia were also present. They had come as part of the envoys of the Grigory and Heaven - officially at least.

"Does that surprise you?" Akeno asked. "It is all part of the plan after all."

xxx

Yes - the plan. Indeed, the truth was that everything what happened so far was part of an intentional and at the first look nearly unbelievable plot between the Guardians and the Faction leaders.

In truth the Satans and most of their trusted confidents had in secret already accepted the terms of the reforms that the Guardians had demanded.

The only problem was getting the Heads of Houses to accept. In a way it was maybe the most unlikely and bizarre conspiricy the Three Factions had ever seen.

Because they never intended or wanted some of the Lords to accept the terms in the first place. It was a plot of the Maou themselves and an outside force like the Guardians and the other two Faction Leaders, against high ranked members of their own Faction.

It had all started with the information from the Universe-05 refugees - about a possible future. Part of it about a civil-war that Lord Bael and certain other Houses had started in the future in league with the force known as the Dark Order, that had brought their race another step closer to extinction.

This information also mentioned at least one assassination attempt on Rias and the actual assassinations of Ajuka Beelzebub and Zekram Bael.

As the agents of the Guardians had then confronted the Maou about their demands regarding the Evil Piece System and the Stray Devils. They were shocked at first about what was demanded of them. This would be a complete disrooting of deeply integrated parts of their society and their practices.

But mabe, they realized - thinking about the information from Universe-05 - this was not such a bad idea after all.

The Maou were even more shocked when they heard that the leaders of Heaven and the Grigori had already agreed to the terms. That meant realistically they had barely any real choice left.

After given it some thought however, they agreed.

But they had a secret demand of their own.

They wanted to get rid of this certain group of House Lords and their influence. This might be a parallel universe, but going by the events that had been described and the Maou´s personal experience, they knew these people were not any different here than they had been in Universe-05.

Their alternate selves had collobarated with the Dark Order, assassinated a Maou and broke off a civil-war that nearly destroyed their race.

And they were, under the right circumstances, capable of exactly the same things here, they knew. These particular Lords made no secret of the fact that they always disagreed with the more `liberal´ policies the New Satans had made. They were staunch traditionalists and autocrats who thought they world circled only around themselves and their interests.

Sirzechs and the other Maou admitted they themselves were far from perfect. But these Lords were vultures, only waiting for their chance.

But so far they had not done any of these things and they were powerful and influencial members of the Devil Society. So they could not simply get rid of them for crimes they had only commited in an alternate universe, no matter how much they wanted to.

The Guardians accepted. But in return they made the demand for Ajuka to step down. After a short while to decide the Maou gave their agreement.

Ajuka on his part remembered the fate of his alternate self and that made this choice for him quite a lot easier.

So a secret pact had been made between the Maou and the other groups.

xxx

Gaeriel had ended her speach and left the podium.

Actually she was acting overly confident and even cocky as she walked slowly out of the hall.

Just as intended. Another provocation.

But nobody did something as long as she was inside the hall - not before everyone´s eyes.

Then however she was walking through the corridors of the building, by herself (or at least it seemed so) and reached the rooms assigned to the Fallen Angel delegation. That were currently unoccupied.

They had been following her for a few minutes now. Another group came from the other direction. Six at all.

It didn´t take long. As soon as she had entered the room, a transport circe lighted up on the floor and the first three assassins appeared before her.

And the trap closed.

The other three came running into the room one moment later. This six Devils were underlings of the Houses Bael and Vassago.

Very good. They weren´t sure if this would work. But as it seemed, if there was one thing they could count on, it was the mindless pride of this Househeads.

One of the assassins tried to strike at her with an magically enhanced weapon. But she just used Phasing and the blade passed through her body like through thin air.

In the same moment another group teleported into the room. It was a special strike team of the Guardians. Gaeriel did not know all of these soldiers in person. She had met this group a few times before this mission, but had only worked with them passingly.

Not all members of the Guardians were immortal or even Supernatural Beings. Beside the Core Group - that consisted of ancient immortal beings like Darien or Alucard and the remains of the X-Men, the Avengers and the Justice League, there were also several other sub-groups and organizations,

... standing armies of volunteers on several versions of Earth and other planets, a few spy agencies, agents in dozens of universes, even a few entire space faring civilizations... and of course special force groups like this one.

They were human, had however any latent magical potential activated, being trained in ki manipulation and turned immortal.

Gaeriel might not knew the soldiers personally, but she did know the person leading them for this mission - Alucard´s Vampire creation Seras Victoria.

They finished off the assassins in seconds. The left however one alive to be questioned.

Seras alone would have been more than enough to deal with them. The soldiers were more here there as insurance. She was a powerhouse for sure, just not powerful enough to break their stand off agreement with the Dark Order to keep their strongest members out of this universes.

xxx

A few minutes later Lord Bael had retreated into his own private quarters as well.

But just a few minutes later he was faced with a surprise of his own... as the Maou Sirzechs Lucifer suddenly stepped into the room, flanked by Grayfia at one side and Raynare and Irina at the other.

"Lord Lucifer - what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Do you really think what you did just now would not be noticed?" Sirzechs said to him. "They expected all along what you would try. something like this. Your assassins have all been discovered and stopped before they could do anything."

"What no..." Lord Bael wanted to cry out. But then he changed his tune very quickly, realizing that there was no point to deny.

"And if I did? This Fallen had been insulting the Houses and the Devil Faction as a whole. She attacked our right to choose our Servants like we see fit and tried to dictate us how to treat them. She should have been killed for her insolence. I was only trying to defend our position."

"Really? You tried to kill an ambassador of a powerful outside Faction that we want to work with," Sirzechs responded.

"And? She is just a Low Class Fallen Servant of them anyway... and a disrespectful one. I am sure her Masters would not even have missed her and the next time they would have made more reasonable demands, when they saw that we are serious."

Sirzechs only smiled at him.

"Tell me - have you heard of the stories that the refugees from that other universe have been telling?" he asked.

"Of course - it is terrible. But we are much stronger here as they were. What does it have to do with this anyway?" Lord Bael questioned.

"Interesting," Sirzechs remarked. "So you had never been told which Houses it were exactly that had started a civil-war in that world?"

Lord Bael was starring at him for a few moments, before he ripped his eyes open and his jaw dropped, as he started to understand what was truly going on.

He realized that Sirzechs had formed a small Spatial Dimension around them all, so that battle-damage would not harm the surrounding area.

"No..." he stammered, "you..."

Sirzechs lifted his hand... in which he was forming an indredible powerful ball of Destruction Energy.

Lord Bael´s two guards instinctively moved their hands to their weapons.

But Grayfia started to power up as well, just like Raynare and Irina draw her Excalibur. Grayfia just shook her head as a small gesture and the guards, who were not suicidal, stepped back.

Sirzechs threw the Destruction Ball at the completely surprised Devil Lord, who had not even properly powered up (not that it had helped him), that burned him away in less than a second.

"Your other self had started a war against us, had murdered my friend Ajuka and tried to murder Rias," Sirzechs said to the empty spot where the other Devil stood a second before. "You won´t get the chance to do the same thing."

At the same time the Head of the House of Vassago and a few others whose names they had gotten from the captured assassin, got similar visits, with similar results.

The Maou even targeted a few Houses who had not been named as accomplices by the captive, but whose archaic or self-centered views.

If the Guardians didn´t like this detail... - well, they already got what they wanted. And from now on this was an internal matter of the Devil Faction.

xxxxxxx

_Present time_

One of the ones who was letting this entire developments and the current situation go through her head was Akeno.

She had been Rias Servant and with that part of the Devil Faction for years now. Until a short time ago, she had never given much thought about what they were doing.

Their old group had hunted down Stray Devils before, killed them.

Back then this sounded only logical. They were monsters after all. Many of them had killed people - humans in first line - some mutilated and sometimes even cannibalized them.

Only that it were the Evil Pieces the Devils put into them in the first place that caused them to become insane and mutate into abominations. And that did the Devil Faction then as an excuse to hunt and kill them… and even managed to paint it as `protecting the realms´.

When in truth it was them who had created the problem in the first place.

Nice little logic circle, she thought bitterly. And at not one point did the Devil Faction acknowledge their own role in this travesty. It had been so easy to ignore all that for so many years.

Yes - many Strays were dangerous mutated psychopaths that needed to be stopped on every price.

And it did not justify putting a death sentence on all of them without difference. Especially when it was ultimately the Devil´s fault that they were like this in the first place.

And she had helped, Akeno thought. She had blood on her hands.

And it certainly did not justify needlessly tormenting and hurting them, like she did. Her own sado-masochistic tendencies had certainly not made the situation better. Quite the opposite.

She remembered all too well how she had used her powers to torture a few Stray Devils before they had killed them, how she had enjoyed it.

Even that back then had felt so normal... so justified.

So easy. Yes - it was so easy to torture someone when you had someone lie their hand on your shoulder and telling you that it was okay - that they were the enemy, that they were traitors, that they were evil.

It was official, Akeno hated herself. She felt downright dirty. And a part of her not even disliked this. One or two times she actually found herself fantasizing how it would be if someone used lighting like that on herself, to punish her in the same way, until she could not longer stand, dig into her skin, drawing her blood and then...

Damn it - she was not even sure if it was actual guilt she felt or just her perversion turning against herself.

She was really a terrible woman.

That was also one of the reasons she had finally made a decision.

xxxxxxx

Another couple of days had passed. They were now finally ready for their expedition to the next two worlds.

Before that however, it was Akeno who had dropped a real bomb on them. She told them that she wanted to leave the team and join the special force that was dealing with the reformed Evil Piece System and the situation with the remaining Stray Devils.

And that Koneko and Gaspar wanted to join this group as well.

So she had asked Rias for her permission. So while the three of them were both here, it was only to see them off. They both would go to the Underworld very soon, to meet up with some of their new colleagues.

Rias had seemed a bit shocked about this. She had asked for the reasons, which Akeno gave her a bit reluctantly.

She remembered Rias face as she told her how she felt about some of the things she had done. That she wanted to make up for it.

_xxxx_

"Are you asking for this because you want to get away from me?" she asked her.

"No," Akeno replied.

"As your Master, whatever you do, I am responsible," Rias stated.

"You never told me to torture someone. That was all on me."

"I never did anything to stop you either."

"It is not just that Rias. This world-hopping that we are doing, that was never really my thing. I only joined Issei´s team because you did and I followed you," Akeno explained.

"And yes it was fascinating, seeing all these other worlds, meeting other versions of people we know. But I have seen enough. I want to fully return to our own world and deal with the things here."

_xxxx_

Rias was not all too happy about her decision, but in the end she gave her permission.

`Akeno is leaving,´ Issei thought silently as well.

("It is not that you were ever that close to her,") Ddraig reminded him. (She is right, she was here because of Rias, not because she wanted to be part of your team.)

"Maybe you are right," Issei responded. "But still loosing a team-member like this."

(It is not that she is truly lost. She just wants to join another team. She is not dead or lost between the worlds, like... others.)

"No-" he replied, "she is not."

xxx

But that was not everything that was going on within their team.

They had decided to start with the world where Kuoh Academy had been destroyed and visit the other one afterwards.

Or at least they originally had.

After some discussions however they had finally decided to visit both worlds at the same time.

Quite ironically it was a discussion regarding the first reality they wanted to visit that led to this decision. Since Kuoh Academy had been destroyed in that world and it was most likely that Rias and Sona (or whoever else was in charge of Kuoh in that world), Raynare and Gaeriel had argued that it might be better to leave their Devil members out of this mission.

After a bit of thinking, Issei, Irina and even Asia actually agreed with them. If the destroyed school had actually been an attack on the Devil Faction, then there was possibly still a war going on in the other reality. Also, the attackers might have taken over Kuoh and might attack them on sight if they showed up with a group partly consisting of Devils.

Rias and especially Raiser were of course all but happy with this. Even if they agree, yes the Devils presence had probably been the reason the other Kuoh had been attacked. They were more than confident that they could deal with whoever had done it.

In the end Rias had suggested that they would simply do the scouting mission to the second world on their own.

They finally came to terms to do it like this. They would divide into two teams.

Issei, Raynare, Irina, Xenovia and Murayama would visit one world, Rias, Kuroka, Kiba, Raiser and Yubeluna the other.

Gaeriel and Asia would stay behind for this time, in case something happened back home.

xxx

They were all standing a few miles outside of the town. All of them in human form and in civilian clothes.

Issei had just opened the first portal, the one that Rias, Kiba, Kuroka, Raiser and Yubeluna would use.

"Okay - then till later," Rias said.

And she and the others walked through the portal.

Issei then closed it and right away opened another one.

xxxxxxx

As the first - Issei´s - group had arrived at their destination, everything seemed more or less normal. As normal as walking into another Dimension could be of course.

This Kuoh here seemed not much different from their own version. At least on the first look.

Except of course for the absence from any Supernatural energies of the Devils. They could already sense the difference from the distance.

But given the situation, that was hardly a surprise.

They had appeared in the same distance from the town like they had formed the portal in their own world. And they had decided to this time simply walk the distance back on their feet instead of teleporting.

Not just because they wanted to reduce the risk of being detected early. This was their first actual mission in two years. So in some way they just wanted to take their time.

As they had arrived at the town and started to walk through the very familiar streets, the feeling only increased.

They came across several humans. Who of course didn´t pay much attention to them. Just as expected.

But it had `nobody else´ reacted to their presence either.

"I guess that was long enough now, right?" Irina said. "After all Supernatural Beings had not been jumping up to kill us as soon as we arrived."

Yes - no Supernatural Creatures had made contact with them yet - positive or negative. But if they wanted to find out if Kalawarner had landed here, they would probably not have another choice but to make contact, if they were friendly or not. And for that they needed to make themselves known.

Issei nodded.

"Let us show ourselves," he said.

They now unleashed their energy. Or at least a good part of it. Issei´s power now equalled that of a low Satan-Class Being and Raynare Ultimate Class.

It was a release of energy that every Supernatural Being inside the town and in the region around it should have noticed.

Irina, Xenovia and Murayama on the other hand staid like they were, unpowered and without showing their weapons.

They could have shown all their power, (and from all of them) but that was not only unnessecary, it was also better if potential hostiles didn´t knew all they were capable of.

"And now?" Murayama asked

"We wait," Xenovia responded.

It took a short while. They were waiting close to the field where once stood the Kuoh Academy of this world.

Irina and Murayama had actually sat down on a bench close by. While Xenovia stood aside from them with her arms folded, waiting.

Isei could not help to find it a little bit ridiculous. They were just standing here and waiting for some Supernatural Being to show up. Nearly as if they were waiting for the first school lesson to start.

Then, after more than ten minutes, someone did showe up.

It was a group of Fallen Angels.

But they were not the only ones

The group of Fallen had teleported themselves to a position about a half mile away, Now they were coming closer fast.

And now the four Fallen Angels were landing right in front of them. One of them was starring with incredible surprise as she saw Raynare.

But the same was going for Raynare herself, who was looking at the face of her mother.

xxx

The group of Fallen were not the only ones who had noticed the sudden outbreak of energy they had caused.

In some distance and a small layer of reality away, Kalawarner was watching both groups. They had found her. They had really found her, she thought. It had taken long enough.

Standing next to her was a young man who looked nearly exactly like Issei.

xxxxxxx

_Another alternate Earth - Erebos Empire Capital_

It was the city of Kyoto in Japan. But it was a very different Kyoto from most other worlds. In this universe Japan... (and the greatest part of the Eastern Hemisphere) had been occupied by the ancient Demon race called the Erebos Demons for centuries.

In the giant palace that had been build in the center of the town, the group called the Devil Hunters were currently reporting to their `benefactors´.

Vali Lucifer was standing in the front, with the sisters Kuroka and Koneko and the masked man calling himself Nero close behind him.

The Issei Hyoudou of DxD Universe-13, who they had recently recruited, was standing with them. But in a short distance and with a frown on his face. He had been told the Devil Hunters were free agents, but given the gathering before him, he had his doubts about that.

Standing next to him was the very nervous looking Raynare-017, who had similar thoughts going through her head. What in the world had she gotten into. But it had been either that or the threat of death.

They were standing in some kind of throne-room.

Before them were the three High Lords - from the ancient Clans Meloch, Pazuzu and Ninlil - standing in a line and the Emperor himself, who was of the Clan of Dagon, sitting on the throne.

These Demons were from an elder race that had once ruled the Underworld of the DxD-worlds, until they were replaced by the current Devils - originally a `servant race´ of hybrids of demons, demoniced humans and Lucifer´s Fallen Angels - who overthrew them in a rebellion.

The Demons had fled into another dimension. But after many thousands of years, they had returned and wanted back what they believed belonged to them - the Underworld, in every single reality where it existed... and revenge on the so called Devils

Beside them there was also a number of minor nobles and military officers present.

"I see you are here," the Emperor greeted the Devil Hunters, "and you brought your new members - good."

They didn´t kneel. They knew the Emperor did not expect them to. It would be a pointless gesture.

"Come with me," the Emperor told them.

He was standing up and walking to a door at the side of the throne-room that was leading to a neighboring chamber.

Out of everyone, only the Devil Hunters and the High-Lords were following him.

"You can leave now," he said to the rest.

Vali, Kuroka and Koneko exchanged one a bit uneasy look. They knew where the Emperor was leading them.

They had been there before, when Vali had received his new powers.

Their new `ally´ they knew, was a dangerous psychopath. And now it seemed the Emperor was offering him the same power as well?

* * *

This chapter had a few references to events from the story Gods of Darkness. As reminder, DxD-Universe-05 is the world called that the events of Gods of Darkness happened in.

The Devil Hunters will play a greater role in the next chapters.


	5. Chapter 5: Invasion

** Chapter 5**

He was leading them into another large and empty hall, close to the throne-room.

Suddenly a symbol in form of an omega was lighting up on the ground. And above it a giant pillar of incredible supernatural energy formed itself above the symbol on the ground.

Behind this intagible energy however, there was malevolent intelligence. It was alive. And this life was powerful beyond any comprehension.

"This - the presence what you see before you is Lord Galid," Dagon the Emperor introduced the incorporal being. "He is our secret and also our greatest ally. When our new Empire arises, he will be the secret force beind it.

"Galid however is just the code-name we were calling him as part of the project to deceive possible agents of his enemies," The Emperor announced.

"His true name is and has always been Darkseid..." he announced.

"Centuries ago he had been a being of nearly endless power. A God and more. He was the ruler of entire worlds. But then his body was destroyed in a fight with a group of powerful enemies.

But his spirit and energy survived, very weakened and drifting aimless through space.

Until he was found by us," he stated. "And we helped him regain his strength."

"How?" Issei-013 asked.

"By sacrificing the ones who are not worthy to exist," the Emperor simply replied, "many of them."

issei didn´t need to explain who he meant, Issei-013 thought. Devils. The hatred these beings had for them nearly equaled his own. That actually made them sympathic to him.

"... And soon he will return," the Emperor continued. "Just like we will... and he will be on **our** side. Together nothing and no one will be able to stop us."

Something about his expression and the look in his eyes actually unsettled most of them. But none wanted to openly admit it.

Even the Erebos High Lord Pazuzu. Ever since they had started this entire alliance with this alien entity here, he admitted he had secretly been rising more and more doubts about the mental state of his ruler.

But on the other side, now - especially with exactly this entity at his side - the Emperor was as good as invincible.

**xxx**

Issei-013 remembered how they had been brought them here. On their way he had noticed that there were actually Devils here in this palace, who were working as Servants - or better said slaves.

He had blasted and killed the first two he had seen - two femaled who had the appearance of young women - on sight. Ironically, it it had not been for their race, he would have actually thought them cute. Their breasts, by what he had seen, had not been bad anyway.

But as it were, he lost his senses and vaporized the two `girls´.

As he found out however, nobody acted particular hostile about it - or even seemed to care.

The being named Pazuzu had told him that this two Servants could easily be replaced.

The other members of the Devil Hunters remembered what happened as well. They all hated the Devils with all their heart as well and could not really care about the death of two of them.

But still this incident worried them. They all saw how he had seemed to completely loose his senses for a few moments. The absolute rage he radiated from one moment to the other.

Vali and Kuroka had actually been holding him back, afraid he could continue

What kind of loose gun had they recruited here? they asked themselves. And what were the Emperor and his secret ally thinking to give him even more power?

**xxx**

"Now Hyoudou - we want to make you an offer," the Emperor said. "Are you willing to take some of Lord Darkseid´s power for your own? Do you accept to bond your energy to his?"

_"Do you accept this terms?"_

"Yes - I accept," he answered without hesitation. A normal person would have second thoughts about this. Most would be afraid or at least careful, to let an unknown entity into themselves.

"Good," the Emperor said.

The black energy was suddenly moving toward him. It was practically shooting out at him and then surrounding his body.

Then it concentrated on his Sacred Gear... and was starting to enter into the supernatural object, streaming into it.

More and more power was building up inside him and Issei-013 sank to his knees. But a smile formed on his face.

Yes - he would destroy them all.

**xxx**

_Inside the Boosted Gear_

The Dragon Ddraig from DxD-Universe-013 could barely believe that his host had done now. He had realized a long time ago that his latest Red Dragon Emperor had gone mad. But this was... he had actually permitted some creature access to his Sacred Gear.

Instinctively he was trying to force back the black energy that was invading what had been his living space for centuries. But it was in vain.

The Dragon watched how in front of him the energy was shaping itself into a dark figure. It looked as if part of this creature´s body was made out of solid rock. His head was shaped like a helmet and the eyes in his grey colored face were red as blood.

This was only a manifestion, he knew. It was only a part of the essence of this creature that had entered the Sacred Gear and has now taken this pseudo-physical shape.

But it had been enough to create a connection to the rest of this creature. It had now access to his Sacred Gear.

"Ah Ddraig," the figure said, "that was your name, wasn´t it? It looks like we will be spending some time together my new friend."

**xxxxxxx**

_Alternate Kuoh - DxD-Universe-19 (Kalawarner´s world)_

"Raynare? That is impossible," the Fallen Angel Reyla said. "What we sensed was at least an Ultimate Class Fallen."

"Really?" Raynare responded in a quiet and dangerous tone.

She saw that this version of her mother possessed two sets of wings. One more than she had ever reached in her own universe.

She was also wearing some already quite worn out looking civilian clothes, that however semed to follow the for female Fallen typical mixture of practical and sexy. A black leather-jacket with a grey shirt beneath it, black high heeled boots and a short black skirt.

"What are you doing here?" Reyla asked who she believed to be her daughter. "Last I heard you and your team had joined up with some pathetic bunch of renegade Devils after our people had been betrayed."

Issei had by now completely concealed his presence. Irina, Xenovia and Murayama were doing the same thing.

The group of Fallen had no idea that they were surrounded by powerful opponents.

Raynare was just starring at her pseudo-mother, trying to keep a stoic face.

"So I guess this means you have decided to return to the side of the true Fallen Angels," Reyla said, "and you have brought a Ultimate Class Fallen along with you. Not bad"

She looked at Issei, obviously deciding that he was the Fallen Angel they sensed earlier.

"And a few human Servants as well," she said with a glance at Irina, Xenovia and Murayama.

"Good - we can always use some. Maybe I had underestimated you daughter."

Raynare formed a lightspear in her hand.

"Think again," she exclaimed and moved the spear against her.

It wasn´t a very precise or dangerous slash. She was not really aiming to kill (yet). Just to vent out her frustrations. On some level she knew that this Reyla was not the same one who put her through so much shit.

Her mother was dead and not mourned at all. But the way she talked to her was just ryling her up.

To that came that Raynare was still barely using any of her power.

So Reyla had no real problem avoiding the strike.

"What are you doing?" she called out.

"Raynare - this is not truly your mother," Issei reminded her, trying to hold her back.

"Maybe - but she is certainly close enough," she replied.

Raynare was now powering up. All ten of her wings materialized now.

Behind Reyla, the other three Fallen Angels - two man and a woman - had now formed lightspears on their own.

But as they saw how powerful their leader´s supposed `low-class´ daughter truly was, they stepped back frightened.

Irina, Xenovia and Murayama meanwhile materialized their swords and showed their power as well.

Reyla on her part could only starring at the being before her in complete shock.

"You are not my daughter," she called out frightened. "Who are you?"

"Funny-" Raynare replied sarcastically, "now that you have seen what I´m capable of, I can suddenly **not** longer be your daughter. Maybe you should make up your damned mind."

Issei on his part had enough. He powered up without showing it in his appearance. And with a gesture of his hand, he froze the three other Fallen Angels in time.

Reyla was even more shocked as she sensed the short outbreak of power from the young man - who she until a moment ago had thought were an unknown powerful Fallen, who her daughter had recruited (probably by seducing him) to buy her way back into her good grace.

And as she realized that her three comrades were standing motionless like statues.

She had been wrong, she realized. Both of the powerful beings they had sensed were still here...and this strange double of her daughter was one of them.

"Who...?"

"You will see," Raynare said grimly.

She lifted two fingers and held them to Reyla´s forehead.

"I have neither time or am in the mood to explain things to you," Raynare said.

She formed a short mental connection. But it was enough to give a vaque knowledge... another universe, a similar life - one where she was dead... and how they were able to travel between these worlds.

"That - that is impossible," Reyla stammered. "Another world?... That just can not be."

"Believe me, it is," Raynare stated. "Is this not what you had always wanted? Your daughter being powerful like this?"

"Yes... no..." she said nearly toneless.

"And all what was necessary for that was for you to die and let me train with people who were actually helping me. You were useless to me. Maybe you are not her, but I bet you have done exactly the same."

"No - I... I wanted to help you get strong."

"You wanted me as your patsy to fulfill your pathetic ambitions. Besause you were too **weak** to do it by yourself. And how did that work out?"

"I-... I made a mistake," Reyla said.

"Yes - you did," Raynare replied.

She was now beyond terrified of this mirror image of her daughter. It was kind of ironic. She had wanted Raynare to be a top-level Fallen since she was a small child and done anything, no matter how extreme to push her to it.

Had she truly expected her to thank her in return?

"Leave now. Get away," Raynare said.

"What?"

"You heard me. Get lost. We are not here for you. And if you see your daughter, you should better remember what she could be if she had someone better to `help´ her."

"You just let me go?" she asked surprised.

"Yes. Go before I change my mind."

Issei released the other three Fallen Angels from their stasis.

"Let us get away from here," Reyla told them and they spread their wings and flew off.

And they disappeared as quick as they could.

"For a moment I really thought you might kill her," Issei said to her.

"Would you have let me?" she replied.

"Probably not," he admitted. "Even if I wouldn´t shed a tear after what you have told us about her. Still, we can not simply blame people for what their counterparts had done. Otherwise we all would have real problems, right?

But I was pretty confident that you would not go through with killing her anyway."

"I was close to. Maybe I should have. But given all the mistakes I made, I am hardly the person fit to judge someone. Even her."

Issei laid his arms around her.

"It is alright," he said.

It was about a minute later that a large Magic Circle appeared on the ground in a close distance to them and three more figures materialized.

The first was looking nearly exactly like Issei, the second a red haired young woman with two black strains in her hair and the last was... Kalawarner.

"Raynare, Issei - I see you have finally found me," she said. "It took you long enough."

Issei and Raynare realized that they were still hugging and moved apart a bit awkwardly.

"Kalawarner," Raynare called out, "I am glad you are okay. Who are your two companions?"

She looked at the young man who seemed to be Issei´s counterpart in this world. But something seemed off about him.

"Kalawarner has told us all about you," Issei´s double said. "About your team and how she had been lost during a transport between the worlds."

"You seem to accept this entire story quite easily," Raynare stated.

"I have known about the existence of other universes for a long time actually," he replied.

"Yes - I am Issei Hyoudou," the one they were familiar with introduced imself. "You seem to be my other self in this world. But it is easy to sense that there is something different about you."

"You are right, there is," he answered. "In a sense you could say I am you and I am not."

"I am Seria," the young woman said. They could not help to feel that they knew her from somewhere.

"I know what you are thinking," Kalawarner mentioned. "You believe that you know Seria here. You in fact do."

"My name was once Sona Sitri," Seria stated. "But I have abandoned this identity and all connected to it long ago."

"May I ask why?" Irina asked.

"You can ask. But that doesn´t mean I have to answer," she stated coldly.

"Does it have to do with the attack that destroyed Kuoh Academy?" Murayama questioned.

She said nothing, but the expression the girl calling herself Seria showed told them all they needed to know.

**xxx**

They spend the next half hour with this group of natives and they and Kalawarner explained to them the situation in this world.

"And you are telling us that in this world two interdimensional Dragons had temporally used the Hyoudous as host bodies," Irina commented, "and you are **their** son?"

"In this world the Hyoudous died - technically at least - in a ship accident during a trip to the Southern Sea. My parents reanimated and took over their bodies for some time."

Issei remembered that his own parents had made a similar journey shortly before he was born. In their reality however no such accident happened.

"I see," he said.

It was more than a bit disturbing, he thought. But hadn´t they actually seen and heard of stranger things? Was the thought of a bunch of doubles of yourself from different worlds not strange in itself?

Issei didn´t let his feelings on the matter show and kept a straight face and blocked his thoughts to the outside. But he had a feeling that his double could guess them anyway.

They had more important matters to think about anyway. So they returned to the topic that was truly of importance to them right now. The war that was going on in this reality.

"So Kokabiel had with the help of Khaos Brigade assassinated Azazel and taken over the Grigori and then they went against the other Factions," Xenovia said.

"Yes."

"What was even worse was that Ophis had been helping them," Seria/Sona stated. "With her and on top this secret ally that they had, they tore both the Devil and Heaven Faction down like nothing. The entire Supernatural World is in chaos since then."

"And this ally - they are called the Erebos?" Raynare asked.

"It seems you know them?" Kalawarner stated.

"We had a few run-ins with them in the time you were missing," Xenovia said. "They are not exactly friendly beings. We have also encountered a group calling themselves the Devil Hunters, who work for them."

"They are sewing chaos and dissent everywhere," Raynare explained. "They commit terror-acts, frame others, provoke conflicts. As it seems to weaken the Factions of these worlds for the eventual attack of their Masters."

"That makes sense," Issei´s double stated. "They are weakening the enemy before their actual assault even started.

In this moment Issei-01 was receiving a call on his communicator. It was Gaeriel.

"Issei-" she addressed him, "there is something you should hear about."

**xxxxxxx**

_Another Universe_

The Devil Hunters arrived at the place of their next mission... their greatest so far.

They had just passed through the portal, together with their `administrator´ or maybe you should call it overseer Lord Pazuzu and an strike-team of his soldiers.

But they were just the beginning. Soon the rest of their troops would follow.

It was this world here where their versions of Vali and Kuroka originally came from. So in a sense, this was also a personal issue to them. They had been the two first members of the team called the Devil Hunters.

Both were recruited in this particular universe. As part of a new `special force´ the Erebos Empire was assembling. They were the first two. Others followed from the other parallel worlds the Demons were scouting. Desperate and angry people who had nothing to loose. And people who had faced their losses thanks to the Devil Species.

The perfect material for them to form into their tools.

Vali had been the first one. He had grown up under the brutal control of his grandfather Rivezim. With the intention to turn Vali into an asset for himself.

Like most other versions of himself, he was freed. Bu in opposite to most, he did not end up with the Fallen Angels.

In his case it was that Rivezim´s hideout was suddenly being attacked by an army of strange creatures, who he would later find out were Demons. Vali had been barely more than a teenager at that time.

**xxxxxxx**

_Several years before_

Rivezim´s Servants fought, but they were badly outnumbered by the swarms of enemies that seemed to be appearing out of nowhere. That and the fact that the leaders of the attack were overwhelming powerful.

Two of them - a man and a woman, he would later find out their names were Pazuzu and Ninlil, two of their highest leaders - were wiping out Rivezim´s guards like they were nothing. The roof of the base was being blown away by one outburst of their power.

The young Vali was impressed. He had been thought to value strength after all.

Vali himself activated his Sacred Gear to join the fight. But he was not quite sure on which side. So he ended up fighting only the few of the invaders who attacked him.

But it was nothing however compared to as the Emperor himself appeared. The others had already been impressive, but the power of the tall black haired Demon was just unbelievable.

He had teleported into the already wrecked base and instantly blasted away a half dozen weaker Devils and Magicians who were standing between him and Rivezim... and now this being was fighting his grandfather himself.

Rivezim was the most powerful being the young halfbreed had ever seen... until now. Vali hated his grandfather like no one else, but at the same time he feared and respected his strength.

But this strange being was not just matching him, he was overpowering him.

As much as Vali had wanted to see the end of the fight, his common sense won out and he attempted to flee. He activated his Balance Breaker Armor and blasted everything that stood in his way, no matter on which side.

Before he managed to reach the end of the fighting zone however, he run into Rivezim´s right hand Euclid Lucifuge and a fight broke out between the two.

"Get out of my way," Vali said.

"I can not - sorry boy," Euclid replied.

The two clashed. Vali tried to use Divine Dividing to weaken his opponent. But their fight did not take long. Vali was at his physical limit. He was not nearly as strong yet as he would be a few years later. And Euclid was just too powerful.

After a few more seconds, Vali´s Sacred Gear deactivated and he sank to his knees completely exhausted.

But just a moment later Euclid was himself attacked from all sides.

A minute later the Erebos Emperor and his two present High Lords were standing around Euclid´s dead body and the unconcious young boy.

The Emperor looked down at him and smiled.

"It seems we have found a promising candidate here Pazuzu," he said.

"Does that mean we take him with us?" Pazuzu asked.

"No - not yet," he answered.

**xxx**

As Vali regained conciousness, he found himself locked up in a room he had never seen before and was shackled with enchanted chains.

A short time after he woke up, a man - a Devil - came into the room and introduced himself as his Master.

As it turned out, a Devil from the normal Devil Facton had noticed the battle and after the attackers retreated, he had come to investigate and found him. And had instantly claimed him for himself.

The Devil had told him in a superficially friendly (but obviously patronizing) way that he had found him close to death and saved his life by placing his Evil Pieces into him. He also mentioned that he should be happy that he had been there to `save´ him and offer him a new life in his peerage.

Vali said nothing. He knew perfectly well that he had not be dieing at all when he passed out and if the attackers had wanted to kill him as he was unconscious, they would have finished the job and not let him lying there still alive. No - this Devil had just found him used the chance to enslave him.

The next few years had not been easy for Vali. He knew he had just switched one Master for another.

But he would not accept this. He had every intention to assassinate the fool who thought he could turn him into his slave. But he knew if he did that, he would be labeled a Stray by the other Devils.

Vali knew he was strong. But not strong enough to survive having the entire Devil Faction hunting him down for long... not yet.

So he trained. Just like he did before. His `Master´ actually approved of this. He was getting stronger after all. The arrogant Devil did not seem to realize that the purpose of the training was **his** death.

But as it turned out Vali would never get the chance. Another member of the peerage named Kuroka had killed him some time later.

Kuroka was also the only member he had been somewhat getting along with. Mostly because sometimes she seemed to doubt their `King´ as well.

The others? The oness who were actually contend to serve their so called Master. He did not interact with them unless it was ordered, he did not spoke to them unless he had to. They were not his comrades, they were part of the entire damn problem.

As he confronted Kuroka, she told him that the Devil had secretly been performing experiments on her to strengthen her powers and had now started to do the same to her sister Shirone, who was also part of the peerage. She was sure that her sister would not survive these experiments. So she did the thing she had to do.

They both decided to flee together. On their way they defeated several other Devil Servants who were trying to stop them. They tried to take Shirone with them, but they could not find her. She was gone.

Later they found out that she had panicked when she saw that her Master got killed and got afraid... of her own sister. She fled and went back to the Devils.

And they also found out how they had thanked her for her `loyalty´. The Devil Faction had spread the story that Kuroka had gone insane through overuse of Senjutsu and killed her Master in a wild rampage.

They had also added that before that she had seduced him with both her body and the promise of fights against powerful enemies in the future. The reputation of being a battle-maniac that he had already build up did not help.

The worst however was that, with the excuse of wanting to `prevent´ something like that from happening again, the Heads of the Devil Clans had executed Shirone.

They only found out about it later. Kuroka had been devastated when she heard what happened.

And Vali noticed that he himself was as well. They had become close during the time they had been on the run. He came to realize that during these last years, Kuroka had been his only friend. A very attractive friend like he also admitted.

And during that time they had also become lovers. It had been one night as they had been sitting together in a hideout somewhere in the Underworld.

**xxx**

She had just come to him and sat down on his lap. At first she had told him her typical speach about wanting to repopulate the Nekomata race. It was by far not the first time she had flirted and tried to make a pass on him. But he did´t really buy her saying it was just to produce more of her race.

"Okay - you are right," she admitted. "This is just some stupid shit I say. Repopulating the Nekomata race? I am not even sure if we two will survive the next week.

It is just... I - I think I have fallen for you. But you never respond to me. I am trying to flirt with you, but you never react. And this was just the first think that came to my mind to get to you."

Vali said nothing for a moment. Then he pulled Kuroka closer to him and draw her into a kiss.

**xxx**

And then her sister had been killed by the same people Shirone had run to, to get away from her.

He was outraged about what happened to her, what happened to him... and for Shirone.

In fact he never actually liked Shirone. To him she was a naive self-righteous child, who was liking the boots of the same beings who had forced her and her sister into servitude. But she didn´t deserve this. And he saw what her loss had done to Kuroka.

They both swore bloody revenge on the Devil Clans and the Anti Satan Faction as well.

It had started with the next patrol group of Devils they came across. They ambushed and slaughtered them all. Except for the leader of the group, who they tortured sp long until he gave them all the information about the Devil Faction, especially their locations in the human world, they wanted.

One day later they attacked the base of a High Class Devil in the Human World. They killed him and his entire peerage and tried to make it look like the Old Satan Faction was behind the attack.

But as they found out, they were not alone.

Vali instantly recognized the group of people that materialized in front of them. It were the same beings who had defeated Rivezim a few years earlier.

"Who are you?" he asked them.

This time the creatures introduced themselves and explained who exactly they were.

Demons - who had been forced out of the Underworld thousands of years ago by the current Devils and forced to flee to another dimension. And who were now back for revenge.

It was a fascinating thought.

Not only that, they had become travellers between the universes.

The one who had introduced himself as their Emperor from the Clan of Dagon told Vali that he recognized him from the battle a few years ago. He also told him that they were very close to killing him.

They told them of their deep hatred for the Devil Species. A feeling they both shared all too well.

But since they realized he was only part Devil... and they saw that he attempted to escape and even fought against Rivezim´s followers, they knew that he was not serving him willingly. So they decided to spare him.

Vali and Kuroka where still shocked and overwhelmed by what they had heard, as they received their offer. Just as the Demons had hoped they would be.

What they didn´t know that the Demons had in truth been monitoring them for a long time. They had actually already made him out as an candidate for their new `project´ before they even attacked Rivezim. Even if there was Devil blood flowing in him.

They had never intended to kill him, that was a pure lie. In fact Lord Pazuzu had intended to take the boy along right thereafter he passed out.

But the Emperor had another idea. So he send out a anonymous message. Directed at the location of the hideout of the closest Devil peerage they had made out during their scouting missions and informing them about the battle that had happened.

And just like the Emperor had predicted, only a short time later a couple of Devil Servants appeared and found the remains of the battlefield... and an incredible powerful, unconscious young boy with incredible potential... who the Master of this group could of course not hesitate to force into his peerage.

Both Pazuzu and Ninlil voiced doubts about intentionally letting a fighter with that kind of power be captured by the Devils.

But the Emperor had just reassured them. This would only increase the boy´s hatred for the Devils and make him hate both the Old Satan and the New Satan Faction equally. And they already had their sights on this particular Devil, he assured them. Should the boy not have broken free by himself in a few years, they would just kill him and free him. And making him feel indebted to them as a bonus.

Even Pazuzu admitted he was disgusted by this plan. Were their methods truly not different than the Devils? But it was the word of the Emperor.

As it turned out the boy named Vali, with this world´s version of the Dividing Gear did not need their help to break free after all. And the girl named Kuroka had turned out to be another bonus he brought along with him.

Both were broken, desperate... and full of hate. Perfect.

Both of them didn´t hesitate as they offered them a free and save shelter... and the chance for revenge in a way they had never thought possible. So their new group gained not only one member, but two.

**xxxxxxx**

_The present - the same world_

They were in the moment standing at a spot at the side of a road, leading to this world´s Kuoh. Like in most realities like their own, the town was a stronghold of the Devil Faction.

"It is finally beginning," Vali stated.

"Yes," Kuroka said. "It feels strange somehow, to be back here - Nya."

"Back here - for the last time," he added grimly.

"Yes."

"So is it," Lord Pazuzu stated. "Power up and take your positions. Operation World-Storm is now beginning."

With that he and his tross of warriors were teleporting away. They were crossing over to the Underworld of this reality... their main target.

The Devil Hunters would stay for a few more minutes.

"So this is our `great day´," Koneko commented.

"It is," Vali said with a hollow voice. He sounded not nearly as convinced as he wanted to.

"Do you have doubts?" Kuroka asked him.

"Why would you," Issei-13 said. "Isn´t this what you told me, you have been working for, for years?" I for my part will enjoy every moment of this. It is not every day that you see a whole Underworld burn."

Nero - standing behind them - staid silent, like most time.

Raynare-17 didn´t say anything as well.

"Let us beginn," Vali stated.

He powered up his Sacred Gear and then activated his Balance Breaker, with Issei doing the same thing a moment later. Their Scale Armors formed around their bodies and the two Dragon Emperors from different realities rose up into the air.

Normally both of them should have been bitter rivals, being carriers of Ddraig and Albion.

And in fact they came short to blows not long ago. But it became clear to both of them that Vali would have beaten him instantly, much to Issei´s frustration. However not simply because he wanted to beat Vali. It reminded him how inadequate he still was for his goal, to take revenge on them all.

Yes - in many cases much of the lives of many White- and Red Dragon Emperors circled around fighting each other. But in case of these two they had both found another target for their emnity. And for their hatred.

They both were taking position high above Kuoh Academy.

It did not take long for the Devils present to come out and confront them. Until two years ago, the control of this Kuoh had - like in most worlds - been in the hands of the Gremory and Sitri Families.

But this had changed after the Sitri heir and half of her peerage had been killed. The control of the town had been given to the Families of Belial and Phenex, who were running it now.

The Devils of course had noticed the presence above them. They came rising up to meet the intruders.

The current rulers of Kuoh were Diehauser Belial - a Satan Class Devil - and Rias Gremory´s husband Raiser Phenex. The Devils had learned from Kokabiel´s attack and did not longer left a couple of teenage girls with inexperienced peerages in charge of the town.

But here it made no difference. Both Dragon Emperor´s faced the attacking Devils with a smile on the face and used the special powers of their Sacred Gears.

**(Boost Boost) **

**(Divide Divide)**

Issei-013 was using the abilities of the Boosted Gear to boost his powers more and more, while Vali used his to weaken and absorb the one of their opponents.

At first they fought with their regular powers against the first Devil Servants they met. They both materialized Holy Swords that the Erebos had given to them before the mission. Another gift for them.

Issei cut two of them down who had already been weakened by Vali´s power with glee on his face, while Vali himself killed another one with an emotionless expression.

"Who are you?" Diehauser called out. They all recognized Vali as the White Dragon. But he had not been seen in years.

"You are the Red Dragon Emperor," this world´s version of Raiser said, looking at Issei-013. "But that is impossible. The last Red Dragon was a woman and she died only a few years ago."

"Oh really?" Issei replied sardonically.

This world´s timeline had diverged from his long before Vali had been born. So it looked that someone else than him had become the Red Dragon Emperor here. Not that it mattered to him.

Issei activated the new power he had received. And so did Vali one moment later.

A black aura was surrounding both of them.

Even a Satan Class like Diehauser was hopelessly outmatched against this. He tried to use the Power of Worthlessness to negate their powers, but realized in horror that they were immune to it.

It was the same with Raiser, who was in this moment being shielded by his Queen Yubeluna. Only for Issei to use his new powers to literally rip her apart with a wide smile...

... and then continue to drive his with dark power enhanced sword through the shocked Raiser´s body, his regeneration was being neutralized by the sinister energy.

The same was happening to Diehauser.

Less than a minute later it was over. They were levitating in the air, lying beneath them the dead bodies of the few opponents they had not completely vaporized.

"We are finished here," Vali stated. "Let us join the others."

**xxxxxxx**

_At the same time in the Underworld of this Universe_

Pazuzu and his group, along with the Devil Hunters Kuroka, Koneko, Nero and Raynare, had meanwhile prepared everything. They were standing in a large circle around a large futuristic looking device they had brought with them through the dimensios.

A few seconds Vali and Issei-013 appeared next to them as well.

The machine they were standing around looked similar to a to an about four meters high metallic pyramid with a fast rotating also metallic globe on it´s top. A blueish light was building up around the device as the surrounding Demons, including Pazuzu himself, lifted their arms and transferred their own supernatural energy into the machinery...

... before it was channeled into a beam that shot up sky of the Underworld.

And there, about 200 meters above them, the beam focused and opened a giant dimensional portal, nearly 50 meters wide.

A second later a large techno-magical airship was leaving the portal, surrounded by hundreds of Erebos warriors who were flying with their materialized wings. The first ship was followed by several more of the same type and similar ones and flanked by thousands of more Demons.

In the end the personal barge of the Emperor was crossing the portal.

The invasion of this world had begun.

**xxxxxxx**

Back in the world Issei and his team were visiting.

"That is it," Gaeriel explained. "Multiple transfers between the same worlds. It is as if someone is transporting an entire army from one to the other. We have already send a couple of this test drones into the universe in question."

"I see," Issei-01 replied.

She was in this moment seeing the first of the data this two probes were sending. The one she had send to the alternate Kuoh showed a picture that was more or less normal, except for signs of a battle between Supernatural Beings that seemed to have taken place above Kuoh Academy.

Through the probe drone´s camera, she could make out a few bodies that were lying scattered over the school-yard and a large crowd of students who were starring at the bodies in obvious shocked fascination... and the police that just arrived.

She easily recognized the dead as that world´s version of Raiser and a few members of his peerage. Someone must have attacked and killed them and just left their corpses behind without care of the humans present finding them.

The recording from the other probe, which she had send directly to this world´s Underworld, however were much worse.

It showed a giant battle, going on around the Devil capital of Lilith. The town itself was standing in flames and at least a few districts had already been devastated.

One side of the battle were the defending Devils, the other she recognized as Erebos Demons.

* * *

**The beings calling themselves the Erebos Demons, who had so far mostly been shown as a lurking theat, go in this chapter finally in the offensive and start to conquer a few of the other worlds.**

**There is also a bit of background for a few of the members of the Devil Hunters.**

**To the guest reviewer Trinity Seven: No - Akeno will not be part of the harem. I have thought about it, butsince the beginning of part two, I knew very little to do with her character.**


End file.
